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Please don’t let the word “Alligator” put you off. This recipe is from Louisiana and as most of us know, alligators are as common as chickens over there. This cajun alligator with sweet potato and salsa will work wonderfully with other meat like chicken, pork loin or even seafood like shrimp. I used pork loin in this recipe and the result was so amazing. My daughter loves the pork. Did I just say that ? I know….she loved it! I cooked just enough for me and hubby because I thought she wouldn’t want to eat meat, but I was wrong (I was happy that I was wrong!). She ate half of my portion. That’s okay! mama was okay with that!
The cajun-marinated pork was seared in the pan and you place this delicious meats on top of bed of sweet potatoes drizzled with green tomato salsa. OMG! The flavors sang!!!! They are spicy (not hot spicy), slightly tart, sweet (thanks to the sweet potatoes) and taste fresh (thanks to the salsa). Definitely hitting all the right spots inside my mouth!!!
In case I haven’t mentioned this, it’s super easy to make too and looked like a gourmet meal that take lots of efforts! This will impress anyone who eat it! Thank you Jamie Oliver, for yet another wonderful recipe! again and again! love this guy!
CAJUN ALLIGATOR WITH SWEET POTATO & SALSA
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes (about 1/2 lb each) wrapped in aluminum foil
- 1 ¾ lbs alligator tail (if you can get a hold of them), chicken breasts, or pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- CAJUN MARINADE:
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A small bunch of fresh oregano , leaves picked
- A small bunch of fresh thyme , leaves picked
- 1 fresh bay leaf , spine removed, leaf torn into pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp whole-grain mustard
- SALSA:
- 3 scallions , trimmed and minced
- ½ fresh red chile ,or to taste, seeded and minced
- 2 green tomatoes , diced
- 1 red tomato , seeded and diced
- A small bunch of fresh curly parsley , finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Get started by making your marinade. Whack the cayenne, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper into a pestle and mortar with the fresh herbs and rind them together. Add your garlic, olive oil, and mustard and grind again - the oil will help all the flavors come out. When you've got a thick sticky paste, transfer it to a large bowl and toss your pieces of meat in it until they are completely coated. Cover with a plastic wrap, then pop the bowl into the refrigerator and leave for at least 20 to 30 minutes or, if you really want those flavors to do their work, for a few hours or even overnight
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and pop your aluminum foil- wrapped sweet potatoes in to roast for about 1 hour. When they're nearly ready, make your salsa. It's lovely and fresh, with the right amount of heat, crunch, herbiness, acid, and salt to bring it all to life. Put all your salsa ingredients into a bowl, with a good pinch of sea salt to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes. Give it all a good mix
- When the sweet potatoes are ready, take them out of the oven but leave them in the foil so they stay warm. Put a large frying pan or wok on a high heat and get it screaming hot. Quickly but carefully add your pieces of marinated meat and let them cook for a few minutes on each side so they get some nice color
- Unwrap your sweet potatoes and put them on plates. Score them down the midle, then gently squeeze them so they pucker up. serve your lovely cooked meat on top, and cover with a few spoonfuls of fresh salsa. And that's it - beautiful meat, soft sweet potatoes, and fresh lively salsa. The meal is complete