Alligator and White Beans
Yields: about 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried white beans*
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 pound alligator tail meat, cut into ¼-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup light floral white wine*
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Hot cooked jasmine rice
  • Garnish: chopped fresh parsley, hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Soak beans in cold water for 24 hours. Drain beans, and rinse in cold water. Drain, and set aside.
  2. In a small shallow bowl, combine flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Season alligator with flour mixture.
  3. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add alligator; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove alligator, and set aside.
  4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to Dutch oven, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Add ham hock, beans, and water to cover. Add alligator and bay leaves. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour. For creamier beans, use the back of a spoon to mash about one-third of beans against side of pot. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Remove bay leaves and ham hock before serving. Serve over hot cooked jasmine rice. Garnish with parsley and hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
*We used Camellia Great Northern Beans and Landry Vineyards Blanc du Bois.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/alligator-and-white-beans/