Ever hated your opponent so much you wanted to just… eat them? Unfortunately this year, the Gamecocks’ schedule is full of mascots that would result in a cannibalism charge — you can’t just chow down on a pirate or a minuteman. But it’s totally acceptable to take a bite out of the Gamecocks' most despised opponent.
Where to find alligator meat
In Columbia, alligator nuggets can be purchased at Palmetto Seafood at 2200 Gervais Street, frozen or on ice for $13.99 for a pound. The ladies behind the counter recommend breading and frying the gator, which works out perfectly since this year’s Florida game is away. Frying alligator nuggets at a tailgate may be a harder proposition than you want to take on.
In other cities and neighborhoods, look for a full-service, standalone seafood shop. Specialty butchers may also sell alligator meat as well. The east coast and southern states are more likely to carry alligator meat than other places thanks to proximity to alligators.
How to fry alligator
There are many ways to fry a gator, but this method was easy and produced golden brown nuggets quickly and easily, plus was recommended by my Louisiana native friend Jen.
Louisiana Style Fried Alligator Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 pound alligator
- peanut or grapeseed oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Assemble all of your ingredients and supplies. This process goes fast. Have a large plate with paper towels next to the stove.
- Set up a saute pan on the stove with at least a ¼ inch of oil, and have tongs nearby.
- Set up three bowls on the counter, one with a cup of milk, the next with a cup of flour mixed with salt and pepper to taste, and the third for the breaded nuggets.
- Cut the gator into bite sized nuggets. The nature of the alligator meat will produce organic shaped chunks, but keep the size consistent.
- Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, dunk in the milk, then dredge in the flour again.
- Put the twice-dredged pieces in a bowl to await frying.
- Heat the oil to medium-high, it’ll be ready when the oil is shiny.
- Gently add nuggets to the pan, and be careful not to crowd the pan. Keep an eye on the nuggets, they only require about a minute on each side to achieve the perfect golden color.
- Once out of the oil, drain the nuggets on paper towels and enjoy hot with your favorite seafood sauce or remoulade.
What does alligator taste like?
The joke is that alligator tastes like chicken, but is it real? Alligator meat does look a lot like chicken meat when raw, except for a slight shape difference. The meat of an alligator is tender, and the texture is fairly similar to chicken, depending on preparation. It especially can take on a whole-meat chicken nugget quality when prepared like this. But because alligators do live in the water, they have a somewhat fishy or oceanic flavor. The strength of the fishiness depends on the alligator source, the company that processes it, and the final preparation.
Are there health benefits to eating alligator?
The nuggets come from the alligator tail, which is tender, mild, white meat.
It is also a healthy and sustainable meat source too. According to Steaks & Game, a 3.5-ounce serving has 143 calories, most of it from protein, just barely 3% total fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, and 29 % protein.
So if you're looking to change up the meat you eat, alligator might be an interesting choice for the dinner table, or the TV tray, if you're watching your football team play against any gator mascot.
Take THAT, gators.
