Alligator Sauce Piquante - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup flour, plus
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 lbs alligator meat, cut into 2 inch strips
1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence (Creole Essence / Bayou Blast)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
cooked hot white rice

Preparation

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large heavy nonstick pot or Dutch oven over mediun high heat.
Stir in the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and bay leaves.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 T of the flour and cook, stirring to cook the flour with out browning, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, and pepper sauce.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Place several pieces of alligator meat at a time on a work surfaace covered with plastic wrap.
Cover the meat with plastic and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into 2 inch strips.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour and the Essence in a medium bowl.
Dredge the alligator piecees in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat 2 T.
of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Add half of the meat and fry until golden brown, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Transfer to a platter.
Heat the remaining 2 T.
oil in the skillet and repeat with the remaining alligator.
Add the meat ot the sauce.
Increase the heat under the sauce to medium high and bring to a gentle rolling boil.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
To serve, spoon the rice into soup bowls.
Top with the meat and sauce, and garnish with the green onions and parsley.