Gator and Andouille Gumbo

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
There are a hundred ways to make gumbo. Here is one I just did featuring Alligator meat and Andouille sausage. I took a somewhat unorthodox step and added some red wine. This added color, a new (yet subtle) dimension of flavor, and cut the saltiness of the sausage and Creole Seasoning a bit. If you’re not using chicken or seafood stock as your main liquid, but prefer plain water, you may want to replace the wine with more water instead.

Gator and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1lb Alligator Meat
1 pack Andouille Sausage (or a good smoked sausage: 14-16 oz)
1 stick Butter
1/2 cup Flour

1 large Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 ribs Celery, chopped
1 pack frozen Okra
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes (not drained)

64 oz Chicken Stock (8 cups)
2 cups Red Wine
2 - 3 small bay leaves
1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning

Procedure

In a large pot with some oil, brown the Andouille Sausage and gator meat then set aside. In the same pot, add the butter and flour to make a roux. Cook the roux over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the roux turns a nice golden brown to dark brown color, add the chopped vegetables.

Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often to coat the veggies (about 2 minutes). Now add the sausage and gator, and stir well to coat. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes more. Next, slowly add the chicken stock a bit at a time, stirring as you go.

Add the Creole seasoning, Bay leaves, and red wine. Stir well, cover the pot, and simmer on low for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add the okra and simmer for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Notes

If you don’t want to use okra, then nix it and use Filet powder instead. Start with 1 Tbsp, stir in and check consistency and flavor. Add a 1/2 teaspoon at a time after that to get desired consistency and flavor. Gumbo is traditionally seasonal and cooked with what is available. In the summer months when fishing and harvesting is prevalent, it’s mostly seafood and okra. In the winter months when hunting is required to bag game, then it is meat (chicken, beef, pork, etc) and filet powder. While some recipes mix filet and okra in the same recipe, that is not the traditional method; it should be one or the other.



The Holy Trinity of Cajun Cooking
step1-74.jpg


The Mother of all Creole spices!
step2-68.jpg


Yep, that’s gator meat.
step3-61.jpg


And some Andouille Sausage.
step4-46.jpg


Gator and Andouille play well together.
step5-37.jpg


Start of the roux with butter and flour.
step6-28.jpg


Nice chocolate color. Could have gone darker, but I like it right about here.
step7-22.jpg


Everything in but the okra. Time for the first hour or so of heat.
step8-16.jpg


I took the “easy” (lazy) way out on the okra. Note, frozen okra is pretty much “slime” free, so you’ll lose a lot of the thickening power that okra gumbo relies on. Use fresh when you can; otherwise, reduce the amount of liquid you use - go light upfront, and you can add more later at the end if you need it.
step9-10.jpg


The okra went in for another 30 minutes and it’s now done.
step9a-4.jpg


Serve it over rice.
step9b-1.jpg


Look at that Gator meat!
step9c-1.jpg
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Keltin, I have to give you credit, that looks GREAT. :clap: :clap: :clap: :tiphat:

I have never ever had even the slightest urge to try gator meat. What is it consistency / taste?

What the heck is Andouille? :confused: :duncecap:
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
Looks good to me!
I've never seen Andouille packaged like that, wish we had it here!
Ditto the gator meat.
Now I'm drooling....
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Thanks everyone! The gator cooked like this has about the same consistency as the sausage or stewed cube steak. Very tender. The flavor is really mild. Tastes a bit like pork loin.

I fried some gator the other day.

http://www.netcookingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16274

The gator I used in this gumbo came from a different store. I was actually surprised to find Gator in a regular Mom & Pop type store since the first batch came from a specialty meat market. Both batches were of different name brands, but both were extremely tender and not chewy at all - I remember gator being chewy when I was a kid growing up.

This gator is very light in color, and cooks up well. When fried, you could pass it off as chicken breast or fried pork and no one would know. :biggrin:

Andouille is a Cajun smoked sausage made of pork (but I have seen it made of other meats, even gator). It's fairly spicy, rather fatty, and is typically smoked over Pecan wood. It adds a great flavor to anything you cook it in. It's used a lot in Cajun Gumbos, Jambalaya, Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice, etc.
 

MexicoKaren

Joyfully Retired
Super Site Supporter
That looks really tasty, Keltin. Beautiful pictures! I love okra, and haven't seen it here at all, but I did find some file powder. Soooo, I s'pose I could pull this off with Spanish style (smoked) chorizo...maybe add some chicken and some nice shrimp. Sounds good!
 

Guts

New member
GATOR !
Reminds me of the show Swamp People where they pull those Big a__ Gators on little boats after they shot them in the head. I would try some but haven't seen it out here on the left coast.
Andouille Sausage is also hard to come by here too.
Looks good Keltin
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Hey Guts, do you have a meat market or butcher in your area? A lot of meat markets carry specialty items in their frozen section. I got my first batch of gator from a Meat Market that also carried frog legs, rabbit, quail, crab, whole fish, as well as the usual assortment of beef, pork, fowl and even frozen vegetables. It's worth checking if you have one in your area.
 

Guts

New member
Thanks Keltin i have never looked or asked for Gator, but i will the next time I go in. Have one local and other meat markets but 20-30 minuets away from my house.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
that looks and sounds delicious, keltin. :applause:

i never knew much about gumbo; lol, actually, i guess you could say i'm cajun challenged. but i found that interesting about okra, filet, and seasonal gumbos.

i'm going to have to try this. but as usual, i'll have to make a healthy version.

i know my son would love it if i made it with gator, so i'll have to look for it. and i think i have some andouille sausage in the freezer made from duck or chicken. gotta check.

what would okra season be? summertime? i know i've seen it canned. i'll have to look for frozen.

and of course, it'll be over brown rice.
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Hey, I had an alligator po'boy yesterday!!! Your gumbo looks fantastic.

I have a suggestion that I recently received via John Besh - when you are at the 'add the vegetables' stage, just add the onions. Hold the peppers and celery back for a short time. The celery and peppers will add liquid to the roux, preventing the onions from caramelizing. Just when the roux is done, add the onions and cook till the onions are caramelized, then add the remaining vegetables. I've been doing this since I got down here and the difference is significant when it comes to the roux being more flavourful!

For anyone wanting to try alligator or other cajun foods, try the http://www.cajungrocer.com for online shopping.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Awesome tip Vera. I'd like to add if you try that, then do it in a well seasoned CI pot or a non-stick pot. I made this Gumbo in a large SS pot, and when I added the veggies to cook in the roux, even on Medium heat, it was really trying to stick. That worried me as I didn't want to ruin the roux after babying it for 15 minutes to get it right, so I went ahead and started adding the liquid after only a few minutes.

Many a Cajun cook will tell you the pot you use is just as important as your recipe! :wink:

BT……I'm not sure it is possible to make a healthy version of Gumbo! :lol:

Can't wait to see what you come up with! If you use frozen okra like I did, then be mindful of your liquid at the beginning. Frozen okra is virtually slime free and doesn't thicken as well as fresh. So less water/stock up front can counteract that…..or you could add File powder.
 
Top