as any one ever cleaned a gar. i was looking around and saw people cleaning gar and getting the back strap out like a you do deer and they say it taste like shrimp, so i wanted to know if anybody else do it
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as any one ever cleaned a gar. i was looking around and saw people cleaning gar and getting the back strap out like a you do deer and they say it taste like shrimp, so i wanted to know if anybody else do it
Cruise, I don't know if this will help but here goes. I've never cleaned or eaten gar but my Dad who came up when times were hard and people lived off of the land passed this off to me years ago. Supposedly gar has either stringy meat or strands of stringy whatever in it, making it not the best to fillet and cook. What they did way back then was to fillet and leave the skin on. With the flesh side facing up, they used a spoon to scrape the softer flesh off of the skin leaving the stringy stuff behind. Then the flesh that was scrape off was combined with seasoning, onions, garlic, green onions and what ever else, and then formed into balls or patties. It was then fried in pork lard and the feast began. Just never eat the eggs, they are poison.
"gene"
Had a friend that would cut the top of the back open and then pull out the "backstraps." Slice these in small pieces and flour and season as you would a porkchop or chicken. Fry in a skillet also as you would chicken. Eat them while still hot. Seemed like we tried it once and it wasn't too bad.
Sling them toothy things on the bank and go get yourself some shrimp.....:DQuote:
Originally Posted by cruise
My grandpa used to cut their snouts off with a pair of sidecutters and then stuck them in the mud when we were bankpole fishing for river flatheads. Never ate one. Cant be any worse than carp though!!!!
Actually, I have eaten a gar before and it was pretty good, when hot. Once it got cold it got a little rubbery. Guy that cooked it said there was a specific way you had to clean em so they would taste ok. Haven't eaten any since. No need when you are on the crappie.
I rodeoed with a seminole indian back in the 60's. His Mom and sister fixed Gar like that and it was good eats. They had a fence board with a nail point stickin out and she would slap the Gar's head on that nail and slice down the back with a hookbilled knife and pull the backstraps out.Quote:
Originally Posted by slabbandit
I was going to post about the Seminole Indians too... gar is a favorite with them.
Tom
Supposedly one of the main staples for the 'noles years ago. I tried my first one from Crescent actually after being told of their table worthiness about three years ago. He said that substituted for lobster in a bisque-type recipe, it would qualify as a close second! Well that was all the encouragement I needed. A 37 incher went on the chopping block that day. It was the hardest creature to get a knife into after literally trying the whole outside perimeter. The spot I was able to penetrate was underneath the fish at the anal fin. After unsuccessfully trying to then cut through the fish to filet because of the "armor-like scales", I ended up using aviation tin snips to then snip around the perimeter. I prepared the fish by cutting into chunks and did the breading/fry in hot oil. It was good enough to do with several more over the next few years, and will still try in a creamy bisque-style creation one day. Guess my username could have easily been Speculator instead!!:rolleyes:Sometimes experimentation or failure can lead to success...like TNT told me- If ya ain't losin' jigs in the stumps, ya ain't catchin' fish!!:Die.-Risk your gear and Bisque your gar!!:confused:
A group of folks living on Lake Jordan, AL have a unique way of cooking gar. They have not confided their secrets to me (yet). But, they call it Lake Jordan lobster. I'll be darned if it doesn't taste just like it.
Tough to clean! Fried like Catfish are good just more meat like texture., but nice white meat.
I have not tried it but I was told you use tin snips to cut and remove the backstrap so it must be tough skin. Was told by the same person to cut backstrap into small peices and boil in crab boil and dip in melted butter. Said it tastes like lobster so that is probably what the Lake Jordan folks are doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gansett
This is exactly the way to do it. I cut the head off with a machete, in order to get the snips under the scales, and then cut the skin along the back, and they just kind of peel open then. Cut out the back straps, and cut the straps into one inch pieces, and then boil in crab boil for 1 minute. If you boil it to long, it will be like chewing on a tire, so boil it just long enough to cook it, and then dip in butter. If you do it correct, you will be hard pressed to tell it apart from lobster. But you have to cut it into small pieces so it cooks fast, other wise it will be very tough. Just dont eat any of the eggs. They are poisonous, and will make you quite sick. So wash the meat very well if it is a female that is full of eggs.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishwish
thanks for all the come back i just heard a friend talk about them getting the back out like you do deer cause i kill them and put back so the little fish can have some thing to eat
gar is great in pattys or balls....like pawpaw said..scoop meat out and mix with onions, green onions and mashed potatos or bread.....or you can use the meat in whatever recipe you use to make crab cakes..........dont knock it till you tried it...
Yes, someone in a pontoon boat told me about a week and a half ago that gar have some of the prettiest meat, but I wouldn't eat it-that is unless we have another depression, but possum, racoon, groundhog and squirrel sound more appealing than a gar, and I eat none of those animals either.
Hello All,
I fried gar many times. Season well and deep fry.
But, I preferred mine in patties.
We bought a "hunk" of gar. I used a spoon and raked that across the meat. It takes out the meat and leaves the connector tissue. Mix with egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning. Make into a pattie and pan fry in shallow oil. Soooooo good.
But, the "mud fish" which has another name, shoepick? cypress trout? makes the best fish patties. Do the same way with the spoon, egg, bread crumbs and season. These are even better.
Don't knock it until you try it.
SilverLady
Do a search in Google for "Gar Fish Recipes" and you come up with a loooooong list.
1perchjerker
A WWII ranger I used to work for told me how to prepare a Gar. Wish I had paid closer attention to him. He could prepare and cook anything that was legal and moved. Was an amazing outdoorsman. Sure miss him.
Anyway, he said there was white meat and yellow meat. Discard the yellow meat, cut the white meat into small pieces, bring the water to a boil, put the white meat in, salt to your liking and when the meat rises to the top, remove and eat. Said it tasted like shrimp.
Now, this has been 35 years ago he told me this, and my memory is good, but reallll short, so follow someone that has a more in depth recipe. Sure wish I had listened to him more.
Thanks to all for sharing.
Thanks for the great info!!! I will give this a try.
We call those Bowfin or Grinnel . The meat is too soft and like eating mud when fried!:eek: Guess if you make patties and season well mud pies would'nt taste as bad!:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverlady
on a side note the bowfin eggs are a great substitute for caviar. just like spoonbill.
Like G&G said....don't eat the gar eggs.....very toxic.....we had a family here in Arkansas that got very sick a couple of weeks ago after eating gar eggs.
Every gar I have ever caught stinks so bad I simply cut the line and didn't touch it. Why would anyone eat something that smells equally as bad as road-kill? :eek: To each is own I guess...
poched in 7up is how I do it. Fed it to some yuppie in laws of mine told them it ws rock lobster and they never looked back. oh yea have some drawn butter on hand and a litle old bay. I have been bow fishing for years and I always keep a few small gar for the "will not's". Like some have said before cut out the back straps and cut out all the yellow meat. I promise its like the texture of lobster.
Shhh...now everyone will be doing it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by finchaser4ever
I trple dog dare anyone to try my recipe. TOP THAT
Amen !!Quote:
Originally Posted by uscfan13
ed
Gar is one of the best fish that swims!!!!! You clean em by getting a thick blade knife such as a Bowie Knife. Start where the head and back meet. you will see a line of scales that overlap. Pop afew scales off there and start pry'n down the back bone. when you get to the tail you start sliceing the meat from the scales until the back strap can be cut out. It is great meat, and doesn't take long at all to clean when you get the hang of it.
I was going to say alligator.Quote:
Originally Posted by finchaser4ever
They aren't bad at all. We tried our hand at one a few weeks ago and it was pretty good. I think that we may try for a smaller one the next time though.
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.