Alligator

[ItsKarl]

I did see imported (and frozen) gator meat at a supermarket in Trondheim once, next to emu and kangaroo. I regret not buying.

I've had bear, though. Very sharp flavour. More interesting than good.

 

[karam]

Not if you live in south Louisiana. LOL
The great think about gumbo is you can make it with whatever you have on hand. I have a friend in north Louisiana that makes squirrel gumbo. Most higher end restaurants have duck and andouille gumbo on the menu. another staple is crab and shrimp gumbo.

My father's family is from most of the areas used for filming Swamp People and at one time owned "land" in the Bayou Sorrel, Bayou Pigeon and Pierre Part areas.

I really like gumbo, we have something very similar in Greece using ocra as well. Most people make it with rooster, beef, or chicken. More rarely with sausage or shrimp.
Many people can't stand ocra, I find it delicious. Have had some issue getting ocra that I like when not in Greece though, when I lived in the UK it was mostly African shops which carried it and it was really huge - almost the size of a small cucumber, very tough, stringy and borderline inedible unless finely chopped. Greek ocra is about the size of a pinky finger or smaller and very tender.

 

[mawnansmiff]

The only flavors you get depends on the sauces that are served with it!

That is often the case with flavourless foodstuffs, they have to be drenched in something that actually has flavour afore folk will eat it.

It reminds me of lettuce or cucumber.....I'll only eat them if there is a half decent vinaigrette to go with them.

Jay.

 

[pappymac]

I really like gumbo, we have something very similar in Greece using ocra as well. Most people make it with rooster, beef, or chicken. More rarely with sausage or shrimp.
Many people can't stand ocra, I find it delicious. Have had some issue getting ocra that I like when not in Greece though, when I lived in the UK it was mostly African shops which carried it and it was really huge - almost the size of a small cucumber, very tough, stringy and borderline inedible unless finely chopped. Greek ocra is about the size of a pinky finger or smaller and very tender.

I like okra but I know a few people who don't. In Louisiana one of the popular dishes during Lent is Okra Gumbo - Gumbo z'herbes - a meatless gumbo.

Okra is available in just about every grocery store you go into over here. If they don't have it fresh in the produce section then you can always find it with canned vegetables or in with the frozen vegetables.

Fried okra would have to be my favorite but I will eat it anyway it's cooked.
Pickled okra is also very popular and can be found served on platters of olives and cheese. One of my daughters will eat a whole jar of pickled okra by herself. It is also used as a garnish on some cocktails over here. A bartender I know will make a martini and garnish it with pickled olives instead of olives.

 

[pappymac]

And now a word from our sponsor.....

Don't turn away from the table if offered a dish made with Nutria or ragondin. In 1792 it was scientifically assigned to the mouse genus and that is why many have no "respect" for nutria. It gets called a lot of derogatory names like swamp rats.

Yes, the lowly nutria is ugly in the wild. I looks more like a muskrat or beaver and is highly prized for its fur. (Nutrias have three layers of fur, the top two layers are removed, leaving the softer, third layer of fur which is similar to rabbit or mink fur.

In Louisiana, nutria is an invasive species known to contribute to the decline of wetlands. Nutria are vegetarian and only eat living plants. Mainly, the like to burrow into the ground and eat the roots of living plants which causes the erosion. They are considered such a danger that the Louisiana State Department of Wildlife & Fisheries has a bounty of $5 per animal. (At one time, trappers/hunters were only required to present the tails to claim the bounty)

Back in the 90s, the state even attempted to encourage the public to consume nutria meat. Nutria meat is leaner with a lower fat content and lower in cholesterol compared to ground beef. I was told that it is one of the meats that has a mild taste that takes on the flavor of the seasoning.

I have eaten a breakfast sausage made from nutria and it is better than turkey sausage in my opinion. I've had a pepperoni like snack stick, a snack sausage made from nutria, bacon & egg, nutria gumbo and nutria chili.

 

[pappymac]

I used to cross that bridge headed to the camp. Camp is off Gloria Street . You can google earth it. Nothing has changed since the 80’s and I have many, many memories sitting on the bank of the Lock with a 12 pack catching catfish all night and watching the barges go by.
Man, its a small world ain’t it !

My dad was a towboat captain and would often travel through that area to get from the ICW to Baton Rouge. I made a couple of trips as a deckhand with him before joining the Coast Guard. Later on in the late 80s, a small boating safety team I was assigned to was sent over there during floods. We would patrol the bayou and keep the towboats from traveling to fast and throwing wakes into peoples homes.

I was too young to drink in those bars but I did learn to eat pickled eggs and ham hocks in those two. Don't know what is there now.

 

[PaulRVA]

My dad was a towboat captain and would often travel through that area to get from the ICW to Baton Rouge. I made a couple of trips as a deckhand with him before joining the Coast Guard. Later on in the late 80s, a small boating safety team I was assigned to was sent over there during floods. We would patrol the bayou and keep the towboats from traveling to fast and throwing wakes into peoples homes.

I was too young to drink in those bars but I did learn to eat pickled eggs and ham hocks in those two. Don't know what is there now.

Last time I went through that area Jack Millers Landing was still the point of no return for civilization,
the swing bridge was still going too!
That was in April or May of 2003

 

[tanless1]

Alligator/turtle chilli...I liked it.
They seen more than willing to eat me, or my pet....livestock. So, fire it up.