Crappie and yes, Gar!

[Slab]

Tried Gar for the first time. My Cook Island buddy just had to try some, so we used a chain saw and cut it open. No not really a chain saw, but Tin Snips were a definite requirement. Unreal how tough their skin is.

And you know what, crappie tastes way better, but it's not terrible. It's a tougher meat, nothing like fish at all. Really IMHO it has the texture of a pork chop. I'm not gonna target them specifically, but I'd eat it again. Not bad done up with a couple spices in an air fryer.

[Alphahawk]

Back in early 2000’s gave it a try and I liked it. I put the whole gar in the freezer, then took a band saw to cut steaks. Then put a knife just under the skin of each steak and it came right off.


Regards


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[BobC]

Looks really delicious!
Bob

[Rojo]

Slab this is how you clean & cook a Gar. First we use shortened Machetes and chop right behind the last dorsal fin on a gar working towards the head. Once you get to the head using a Ole Hickory butcher knife from the inside out cut down each side of the gar behind the gill plate. Then using a fillet knife fillet the backstrap on each side of the spine front to rear first then using your fingers to hold the backstrap away from the spine work you knife along the horizontal bones outward to the skin. Once you have the backstrap fully freed from bones again using your fillet knife working from the top of the skin, back to front, fillet the skin off the backstrap and remove it from the carcass. Since cold blooded if you lay the fresh killed & cleaned backstraps out to slice they may curl up around your knife blade. I place the backstraps in the fridge overnight and slice them, crossways, into 1/4 to 1/3rd inch steaks.

Now to cook. First salt and pepper / Tonys seasonings or something of the sort - the steaks. After bread with AP flour and allow to sit till the flour starts to get sticky. Then in black iron fry the steaks brown, brown, brown, slowly removing each steak to drain on wire but in the oven on warm. After all the fish is cooked you make a brown onion gravy in the same pan you cooked the gar in. While your making Cajun brown gravy cook some white long grain rice. To plate - first layer is white rice, second layer is the Gar (if cooked correctly the tough leaders in between the meat will have tenderized and turned clear) lastly is your gravy over the top. Enjoy some fine Ville Palette, Louisiana Garfish groceries.

[Slab]

Am I right Rojo, texture like pork chops. And cutting through that skin from inside is still near impossible. That was a big gar. Super thick armor.


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[BuckeyeCrappie]

I mounted one once, hard to do but made a purty mount. I’ll stick to pork chops and fried Crappie!

[GreenLine]

Another way to cook the smaller ones when you’re camping. Need one about as big around as a soda can , gut it and leave the head and skin on.
Then get a pair of pliers to handle it. After you’ve got some good coals put the gar near the coals to cook it slow. Kind of like cooking a hotdog, but slower . It should take about 45 minutes depending on the size.
When it’s done the scales will be pretty burnt looking ( no joke) and should scrape easily away from the white flakey meat. The meat will be similar to the texture of shrimp.
Just pluck the back strap with a fork.
Try it some time, most people make jokes but if they try it they’ll be surprised how good it is.

[Rojo]

My mom lost the picture she took of me and a friend holding up a Alligator Gar we caught off the wharf of a camp on Lake Hermitage. A bunch of New Orleans Firemen owned the camp. I broke off on the Gar while my Bud with a Mini Maglite in his mouth, standing on a makeshift diving board held in place by old fire hoses, stuck a fishing arrow in the Gar's back with his Recurve Bow. He was hollering; I Got Him, I Got Him. We didn't believe him till we saw his line was completely off the fishing reel, he had his bow gripped out where the string attached, his torso was out over the water while only his locked legs on that diving board kept him from going in. I'm 6'3'' tall, have a hat on, and the nose of the Gar is over my head while the tail and a bit of the body still is laying out on the ground. I can't tell you how many times I wish I still had that picture. Yes, Slab a 1/2in thick cut steak off a really big one's back strap is like Pork Chop to me especially fried like I described. Krotz Springs, Louisiana in another area where some really fine cooked Gar can be found. All the cool kids in school was out at ball games on the weekends, we were out Froggin' Fishin' Huntin' Shootin' Boat Ridin' Trappin', you get the picture.

[Grainraiser]

Use to gar fish with my dad and uncle when I was around 8 years old. The only thing I remember is they always threw them back and we would be caked with mud when we got home.

[DockShootinJack]

Sounds good to me