What I did with a Croc in the Bathtub

Crocodiles … luv ’em … preferably in tempura batter and served on a salad bed 🙂

But there are other bits to crocodiles à la carte such as feet, claws intact. Having given it some consideration I decided on pickling them along with some vegies and spices. I hate to waste anything! If a lizard has given up its life to me … then the least I can do is show it the utmost respect and eat the lot.

So here it is … the recipe for pickled croc’

Having ‘caught’ the bugga’ you need to prepare it for the cooking. For those of you who missed a past post check out “What to do with a Crocodile in the Bathtub” and I should add that any catching needs to be in the right quarters … I went hunting at the local suppliers whilst in FN Queensland recently. They are protected in the wild and we have croc farms now in Aus. as they leather is simply superb and very much sort after overseas.

A small word of warning … A croc at no point will see itself as dinner, You are the dinner! Do not go looking for croc’s or attempt to catch or kill one! Are you crazy? Leave it to licensed professionals. There is little comparison between the nature of croc’s and alligators. Salt water croc’s are mean primeval lizards that will hunt human prey without a thought.

Pickled Croc Feet

4-8 Small to Med crocodile feet
2 tblsp pickling spice
2 tsp of whole cloves
4 cups of cider vinegar
3-4 tblsp sugar (I used raw sugar)
2-4 tblsp kosher salt/pure salt
2 onions
Assorted veg (I cheated and used frozen winter veg)
Water to cover
Additional chillies and ginger, mustard seeds & coriander seeds optional

 Method:

• Place croc’ feet (thoroughly cleaned) in a boiler with all bar the vegetables and boil for 10 minutes.
• Put into slow cooker on high or on the stove reduce heat to very slow simmer – cook for 3 hours or until meat comes away from the forearm bones easily.
• Separate meat from the bones, leaving claws intact if desired.
• Heat vegetables through to a boil in the reserved liquid – cool
• Pack carefully into pickling jar using tongs – until arranged to your satisfaction using the croc feet, meat and vegetables.
• Place into a boiler with the rim of the jar above the water level, boil until contents is thoroughly heated through. Seal while hot to preserve the vacuum or the jar.
• Store in a cool place.

Serve as a pickled entree or mains with rice, nori or seaweed sheets as a finger food or side savoury dish.

Related articles

• What to do with a Crocodile in the Bathtub (janhawkinsau.wordpress.com)
• British tourist captures the moment a crocodile eats a SHARK (swns.com)
• Call for croc sightings to be reported immediately (abc.net.au)
• Crocodiles Bites Show Why Your Birkin Bag Is So Expensive – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• In pictures: Tour guide feeds 17 foot crocodile (dailyrecord.co.uk)

bon appétit