Florida Alligator Stir-Fry

Ingredients

Preparation

In a small saucepot over medium heat, add orange juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and orange zest. Bring ingredients to a boil. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the cornstarch and water mixture until combined. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce mixture. Continue to whisk until the sauce has thickened. Bring to a slight boil, remove from heat and let cool. 

Add oil to deep fryer and preheat to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and ¼ cup water to create an egg mixture. Set up breading station in three separate bowls as follows: egg mixture, flour, panko. Season each with salt and pepper. Add 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose seafood seasoning to each of the flour and panko stations. Depending on the size of your fryer, divide alligator into batches. Coat the first batch in egg mixture and let drain slightly. Next, dip wet nuggets into seasoned flour mixture and gently shake to remove any excess. Return nuggets to the egg mixture, coat and drain excess. Lastly, toss the coated nuggets in panko to evenly coat and gently shake to remove excess. Fry the alligator for 2 to 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Drain onto a pan lined with paper towels. Repeat for additional batches. 

Preheat a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil to the preheated pan. Carefully add the onion, squash, carrot and zucchini. Season vegetables lightly with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables for about 2 minutes, trying to maintain their crispiness. Add the fresh ginger and garlic to the cooking vegetables. Add the crispy fried alligator to the sauté pan and toss to combine. Remove the alligator stir fry from the heat and serve over a warm bed of rice. Drizzle each plate with the homemade stir fry sauce. Garnish each finished dish with sesame seeds.