About eating alligator

Earlier this evening my husband and I were watching The Iron Chef.  For this episode the secret ingredient was pheasant and Steve asked me if I had eaten that.  I replied that I had but the more usual game bird of my past was partridge.  When I was growing up my brothers were excellent hunters. As soon as bird season arrived they would be off to the woods. After they had bagged two, three or more birds they would be back to make a stew.  Birds would be dressed, that is plucked, cleaned and parts removed for the uninitiated.  Mother would break down the caresses, now I realize that was to extract the goodness from the bones, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Veggies and herbs were added, and sometimes a piece of salt pork and there would be partridge stew for supper.  To me this was not an unusual ingredient.

As I have wandered my way through life many of my delights have been gastronomic.  I believe it was my Grandmother Lottie Rogers who lit my foodie fire when at age nine I was sent to pick watercress.  The cress grew under water in a little stream on the edge of the property.  I would harvest and she would make tea sandwiches.  As we ate Grammy and I would pour over cookbooks and descriptions of English teas.  During my years at home we ate a number of products that other households shunned; lamb and mutton, goat, head cheese, duck eggs, lobster and beef liver, heart and tongue to name a few. 

chocolate covered bugs

By the time I visited Expo 67 I was open for most experiences.  It was here at Expo I tried cricket snacks, deep fried crickets with a salty coating eaten like chips and chocolate covered bugs.  The crickets I liked, the bugs not so much.  I tried Yaks milk, too thick and my first donair, yum.   As I moved through life I ended up on Vancouver Island.  Here I ate oysters for the first.  Actually harvested by moi in Parksville and eaten raw right there on the beach.  They are an acquired taste.  As well I was introduced to Ukraine food, Chinese cuisine, East Indian feasts, Danish Delights (the lutefisk was not a delight) and a vast array of fish and pastries.

Sea Urchin

Back in New Brunswick I once had the opportunity to go to a dinner that featured bear, squirrel and many other wild proteins.  I remember the bear to be strong and stringy and the hosts suggested we slather it with mustard.  In Rankin Inlet, North West Territories I ate caribou and arctic char; both were excellent.   In Ontario I cautiously tried uni, sea urchin, I loved it.  This is one food I wish I could have again.  Deep fried plantain served with red snapper was a favorite in Cuba.

Travelling through the south I tried both alligator and rattlesnake. They were battered and deep fried and yes …tasted like chicken.  In Texas I ate real Texas barbeque; chicken fried steak, deep fried okra and hush puppies.  All those foods were good; though a little barbeque goes a long way.  My opportunity to travel has been curtailed so my opportunities to try something new are not as frequent.  However, Steve and I are going to Ontario in June and we have been talking about the Oceans supermarket is Mississauga. They have chicken’s feet, barbecued duck and pig’s ears.

Paula Dean's Fried alligator

So back to the alligator; No one asked me about eating alligator.  But if they had I would concur with the cook who said “alligator tastes like prehistoric chicken”.  The one thing I could not eat is shark.   Go figure.