cooking gar

maybe i'll have to try this.. all the gar and carp we bowfish usually end up as fertilizer. it would be nice to be able to eat our kills..

finchaser....are you ever going to "fess up" to the yuppie inlaws???hehe I fed my mother in law deer this year and didn't tell her until her last bite. She had been saying it was good all night long, but said she didn't want any more after she found out it was "Bambi"!!! Might want to keep it to yourself;)hehe

Caught at Christmas vacation '09 at "lumberyard". 25 lb. 56 1/2" 6 lb. test/12' Wally Marshall rod - hooked in the tail...45 minute tussle. I cleaned this dinosaur as my two nephews watched in amazement/disbelief. Too big however, meat was fibrous and chewy when fileted, cubed and fried. Smaller ones have been better tablefare over the years.:eek:http://1229090905 longnose gar.jpg

If anyone ever gets through Pineville and wants to try gar without having to catch and clean one I know of a place that sells it already cooked. On Hwy 28east theres a little fast food place called Bill's Fish & Fowl. It's a small blue building directly across from the Mcdonalds. I havent been there in about a year but last time I was there they had Gar on the menu. Was about $5.99 for a plate with a gar patty, fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw. I had it once for lunch and it was good, well maybe not as good as I make at home but then again nothing ever is, lol.

I am amazed however at how many of you eat gar without running it through an electric meat grinder. I think many people who just fillet a gar and then eat the meat fried are turned off by the chewy nature of the meat. This is why we run it through the grinder twice and then we add our spices, onions, etc and roll it into balls or pat out pattys. Throw em in the fryer and out comes a delicious entree fit for a king :)

Dr.john the answer is HE-- NO. I will never tell them about that or the italian sausage stuffed shells i make with deer. I make my own sausage and hamburger and cubed steak. I also fed them some frog legs batterd fried and tossed in buffalo sauce. All i had to do was cut them at the joints and they look just like small chicken wings. They love to eat at my house they say im a great southern cook. HAHA southern aint the half of it.

I do suggest any one who tries to eat a gar make it a small one. Under 36 inches long. They do get tough but the gar patties and gar balls are fine for the larger ones. I still tripple dog dare any one to try my recipe by poaching it in 7up sprinkle on a little salt and old bay mixed and dip in drawn butter.