Colleges

Mascots and munchies

UF fans aren't the only ones enjoying gator bites.

By CHRIS SHERMAN
Published January 7, 2007

If the Gators weren't going to the BCS title game, fans should be coming our way for some gator.

The fearsome symbol of the University of Florida, and the state's iconic oddity, turns out to make classic fodder for football watching and sports bar munching: fried gator bits or part of a crock pot of soupy gumbo or chowder.

Indeed, gator bites are a prime appetizer at Gators Cafe and Saloon, home lair of Florida fanatic and restaurateur Sid "King Gator" Rice.

Once a novelty, alligator meat is harvested in large numbers and has a regular presence in frozen seafood cases around Tampa Bay.

For all its swampy setting, frightening diet and crusty exterior, alligator meat is light, clean and lean, and relatively mild. So it's best with crunchy batter crust or fired up with spice, sauce or thick soup.

Gator meat is so lean it can be tough unless tenderized, cut into small pieces or cooked long and hot. Frying is most common, but gator meat can be sauteed, blackened or stewed in a crockpot.

In restaurants with a strong Florida or Cracker flavor, such as Gators on Treasure Island, Cooter's on Clearwater Beach or Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, gator is a natural.

Though alligator ribs are sometimes available, most meat found at retail is from the tail and sold frozen in chunks or cube steaks.

Gator fans with a mind to cook up a bit of their favorite reptile would find the best hunting at independent seafood markets. This weekend, gator was available at prices from $7 to $10 at Mid-Peninsula Sav-On, Trappman's and Bama seafood markets in St. Petersburg, Pelican Point in Tarpon Springs, Cox's Seafood in Tampa, Shrimp Landing and Charlie's in Crystal River.

If cooking and eating a team's mascot seems strange, many ancient people believed that was a way to acquire the strength and spirit of the beast. Chomp, chomp.

Fried Alligator

2 pounds alligator meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

garlic, salt and pepper

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

Preparation: Season alligator cubes with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Combine eggs, milk and mix well. Roll each piece of alligator in flour then dip in egg and milk batter. Shake off excess batter and deep fry at 325 degrees F until golden brown.

Yield: Snacks for eight.

Smothered Alligator

2 pounds alligator meat, cut into bit-sized pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon basil, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Preparation: Saute onions in oil until golden brown; add bell pepper and celery and saute until tender. Add meat, bay leaf, basil, salt and pepper and simmer for 40 minutes. Add parsley and shallots about five minutes before serving.

Yield: Entree portions for six.

[Last modified January 7, 2007, 05:41:26]