Hi ! From Australia

[Pablo-ORes]

My self

 

I'm from the far north region of queensland, Australia, currently undertaking my chef training. I've worked as a kitchenhand for over a decade and have only recently taken up gaining my qualification, I'm passionate about food and wish to further my culinary skills and knowledge.

 

Food.

 

I'm into South East Asian flavours and I enjoy working with spices, making pastes, marinades, sauces and just in general being creative with food.

 

I'm currently working with Australian produce such as our seafood. crocodile, kangaroo, wallaby, game meats and Australian native bush flavours. 

 

Why I'm here.

 

There's a lot to learn and so much to understand about food I find there isn't enough books with all the knowledge that's out there. 

 

A big hello and thank you to all, 

 

Pablo.

[kayb]

So how do you prepare crocodile? Alligator is a big thing here in Cajun cookery in Louisiana and some parts of east Texas. I have never seen the point in it. How do you prepare crocodile and what are its good points?

 

Oh, and welcome!

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@kayb,

 

I never liked alligator either after eating a couple of "nugget" offerings I had in some restaurants. They were almost certainly rendered up from frozen too long. These were a big let down from the excitement of a new meat to me.

 

Then, my husband's work crew he sent to Florida accidentally ran over a gator on the way home after finishing the job. They kept the tail on ice in a cooler the whole way, and knew from his stories that I was a good cook. Cooking up this fresh tail was when I got the point of gator. It was so very excellent. It doesn't taste like sweet Maine lobster, but the texture is kind of reminiscent in a slightly tougher way. It's delicious when fresh. It doesn't taste a bit like chicken either, unless it has been "nuggetized" and frozen too long. I offered to send some to the job site, but they rejected the offer. Too weird for them, I guess, but I sure enjoyed it, and so did my husband. It was very nice of them to bring it back for us, though, and a way to make the accident something more than a tragic death of the animal (vicious) that turned out to be so tasty. Sorry it got run over, but it would have eaten me if given the chance, ya know.

 

Welcome @Pablo-ORes! It certainly sounds like you have some very interesting ingredients to cook with, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who anticipates hearing about what you do with them. I'll be looking forward to your posts. Please do join us here in discovering all the wonders the culinary world has to offer. You are right! I have learned so much more right here than I have from cookbooks and the internet. This is the place to be if you want to expand your knowledge about food and its preparation. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about food, but I swear I learn something new every day here. 

[Pablo-ORes]

Hi Kay, 

 

Crocodile is soft and delicate when cooked well, as much of the fat is removed before cooking only a small amount is left making the crocodile a healthy protein, however, it's easy to overcook and can become tough -- much like an overcooked squid. So adding a coat to the meat will help keep the moisture in; either coated in starch, fried and briefly wok tossed in a sauce or smoked. As a smoked product the meat can be served chilled with a fruity flavoured emulsion to your liking i.e infused into a mayonaise base. 

 

As the use of Australian ingrediants is still new to modern Australian cuisine (can you believe), there is a lot of potential for discoveries concerning their preparations and uses. 

 

Since I've only started I'll be keeping my nose and tastebuds open to suggestions. I think Cajun cooking can offer some more insight into 'what works' with crocodile. 

 

I've never been but I believe Lousiana is similar to some parts of Australia as places like the national parks of Northern Territory, locals there tend to eat what it can provide and tend to use Asian flavours for their dishes whereas Cajun is French influenced I believe ?  

[Martin Fisher]

Welcome! 

[Captain]

G'Day...

Lot's of info & inspiration here mate.

[kayb]

14 hours ago, Pablo-ORes said:

Hi Kay, 

 

Crocodile is soft and delicate when cooked well, as much of the fat is removed before cooking only a small amount is left making the crocodile a healthy protein, however, it's easy to overcook and can become tough -- much like an overcooked squid. So adding a coat to the meat will help keep the moisture in; either coated in starch, fried and briefly wok tossed in a sauce or smoked. As a smoked product the meat can be served chilled with a fruity flavoured emulsion to your liking i.e infused into a mayonaise base. 

 

As the use of Australian ingrediants is still new to modern Australian cuisine (can you believe), there is a lot of potential for discoveries concerning their preparations and uses. 

 

Since I've only started I'll be keeping my nose and tastebuds open to suggestions. I think Cajun cooking can offer some more insight into 'what works' with crocodile. 

 

I've never been but I believe Lousiana is similar to some parts of Australia as places like the national parks of Northern Territory, locals there tend to eat what it can provide and tend to use Asian flavours for their dishes whereas Cajun is French influenced I believe ?  

 

Cajun (and Creole, the other significant cuisine of Louisiana) both tend to be influenced by French and African cooking and ingredients. Thus you see the use of lots of okra. And lots of indigenous meat, vegetables, and otherwise.

 

Except for nutria. Don't know that anybody's figured out how to cook nutria. Not that I would EAT nutria, but then, people eat guinea pig. ( @Panaderia Canadiense, I'm lookin' at you....)