Alligator Fingers

MommyKat's Note:

When my dad bagged an alligator in Florida, he saved us a chunk of the meat. It managed to survive the freezer until I found just the right recipe on another site, and boy am I glad I waited. It was mild and slightly chewy (in a good way), fast and easy to make, and went great with niblet corn, biscuits, and a dry white wine. Not wierd at all, just tasty! P.S. I consider the dipping sauce to be a necessity, not optional, because it's so good and tangy.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 lbs alligator meat , cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• salt and pepper
• oil (for frying)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Optional dipping sauce

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Place alligator meat in a medium bowl, and mix with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate about 10 minutes.
2. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch, and heat over a medium-high flame to about 365 degrees F.
3. Add to a large resealable bag the flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Squeeze off excess liquid from meat, and add one handful of meat to the resealable bag. Shake to coat. Remove meat, shake off excess flour, and set on a plate. Repeat with remaining meat.
4. When oil is hot, place meat pieces into oil, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to paper towels, and serve hot.
5. To prepare dipping sauce, mix together in a small bowl the mayonnaise, horseradish, brown mustard, and red wine vinegar.