Sauce piquante is a well-seasoned Cajun and Creole dish that features a tomato base and often includes wild game like alligator or snapping turtle.
Alligator and Tasso Sauce Piquante
Makes 2 Quarts
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound tasso, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced poblano pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 to 1½ cups chicken stock
- 2 pounds cleaned alligator meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Hot cooked rice, to serve
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tasso; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in pot.
- Add remaining ⅔ cup oil to drippings, and heat over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until a light brown roux forms, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Carefully add onion, poblano, and celery to roux. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, green chiles, tomato paste, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in 1 cup stock, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper on alligator.
- Gently stir alligator and tasso into sauce, and bring to a low boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until alligator is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add up to remaining ½ cup stock if sauce piquante becomes too thick. Serve over rice. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
