Fried Alligator Bites

Ingredients

• 2 lb alligator tail meat
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 quarts peanut oil, for frying
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Method

1. Trim any sinew or fat from the alligator and cut it into even 1-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate.
2. Soak the pieces in the buttermilk and hot sauce in the refrigerator for 2 hours to tenderize the meat.
3. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne and salt in a wide bowl.
4. Heat the oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. Drain the alligator, toss it in the coating and shake off the extra.
5. Fry in small batches until golden and the meat reaches 165°F, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook it, or it turns chewy.
6. Drain on a rack, sprinkle with salt and serve hot with lemon wedges and Alabama white sauce or remoulade.

Notes