RECIPE - Alligator in Coconut Milk (Jacaré com Leite de Coco)

Since the past few posts here on Flavors of Brazil have concerned themselves with coconuts and alligators, when I spotted this recipe for alligator with coconut milk I knew it was perfect for inclusion in the blog. It is an adaptation of a recipe I found on a Brazilian food blog called Marido Sanduiche.

Alligator (or jacaré as it's called in Portuguese) is increasingly available fresh or frozen in supermarkets and butcher shops in Brazil. Most of it comes from the Pantanal, the world's largest wetlands sytem, and the majority of it is farmed. In North America it can be purchased fresh the southeastern USA and frozen in most metropolitan areas of the USA and Canada. Whether it's available at all in Europe or elsewhere, I'm afraid I can't say.

Alligator is an extremely healthy meat, and very adaptable to a large variety of cooking methods. It can successfully be substituted for other meats, particularly chicken or pork. Give it a try, you might just be surprised how much you like it.

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RECIPE - Alligator in Coconut Milk (Jacaré com Leite de Coco)

1 1/2 lb (750 gr) alligator meat, boneless
2 large limes
1 lb (450 gr) boiling potatoes, peeled and halved or quartered depending on size
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup loosely-packed, chopped cilantro
1 cup (200 ml) coconut milk, home-made or canned
salt and pepper to taste
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Cut the alligator meat into 2 inch chunks or cubes. Place the meat in a large bowl with ice water to cover. Add the juice of one lime,and let sit for 30 minutes.

Drain the alligator meat. In another large bowl, combine the meat, the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, the juice of the other lemon and the olive oil. Toss thoroughly to coat all the meat with marinade. Refrigerate the meat in the marinade for two hours.

Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the meat and the marinade and the chopped onion and stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned. Add the chopped tomato, half the coconut milk, then mix completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the potatoes and the other half of the coconut milk. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the alligator is tender. If the sauce is too thin, reduce quickly over high heat. Remove from heat.

Place in large serving bowl, sprinkling the chopped cilantro on top of the alligator and potato. Serve immediately, accompanied by white rice.

Eating Jacaré - Brazil's Farmed Alligator Meat

The swampy wetlands of southwestern Brazil known as the Pantanal are home to the world's largest single crocodilian population. These reptiles are called jacaré (pronounced zha-ka-RAY) in Portuguese, and it's estimated that there are up to 10 million of them living in the rivers and swamps of the Pantanal. Scientifically speaking they are a species of caiman, related to alligators and crocodiles but slightly different from either of those groups. Their scientific name is Caiman yacare and they are called Yacare Caimans in English.

Caimans tend to be smaller than their alligator or crocodile cousins, reaching 2 to 2.5 meters in adulthood. This smaller stature, fortunately, means they aren't large enough to harm or consume humans. They prey primarily on fish and birds and in turn are prey for jaguars and anacondas. As their meat is delicious and very healthy, they are also beginning to be "preyed upon" by humans who are looking for something exotic to put on the dinner table. Jacarés can successfully be grown in captivity, and the farming of jacarés for their meat is a growing business in the Pantanal. The practice is environmentally sustainable, and provides much-needed income to local inhabitants. It also is beginning to provide a new and exotic ingredient for chefs in the region and elsewhere in Brazil.

Jacaré is becoming a star attraction on restaurant menus in all major cities of Brazil, as chefs and nutritionists discover its nutritional and gastronomic qualities. The meat is very low in fat and cholesterol, and extremely high in protein. It's mild yet distinctive flavor takes well to flavorings, rubs and sauces and adapts itself to many Brazilian and non-Brazilian meat recipes. The chart below shows how many different cuts of meat come from a single jacaré and how little of the animal goes to waste. Additionally, there is great economic value in the skin of the animal, so the intense utilization of all parts of the animal further increase its environmental sustainability.

Alligator meat is available fresh in certain parts of the USA, notably Louisiana and Florida, and is available frozen in gourmet meat shops elsewhere in North America. In the next post on Flavors of Brazil, I'll print some recipes for jacaré that have been developed recently to bring this meat into the mainstream of contemporary Brazilian cuisine. Although jacaré and alligator are not exactly the same species, any recipe for one can successfully be made with the other.