Baby, Nana found a recipe that starts with “50 lb. alligator meat” and “Cook in a 20 gallon wash pot.” Mr. Fernel Leader wasn’t playing. This is Manchac church cookbook cooking – feed the whole parish or don’t bother.
Pawpaw looked at it and said “Tee, we ain’t got a wash pot.” Nana said “We ain’t got 250 people either.” So Nana scaled it down to feed 6. Same taste, less gator, smaller pot.
Alligator spaghetti ain’t fancy. It’s brown gravy spaghetti – not red sauce. No tomatoes. Gator gets browned, onions smother down till they make gravy, spaghetti boils right in the same pot. One pot, swamp to table. Tastes like veal, cooks like chicken, feeds like Sunday dinner.
If you can’t find gator, use chicken thighs. But if you CAN find gator… baby, do it. Church cookbook recipes don’t lie.
Let’s cook for a crowd. Or just Pawpaw.
Why Mr. Fernel’s Alligator Spaghetti is Pure Bayou
`1. No Tomatoes: This is Cajun brown gravy spaghetti. Like Grandma’s chicken stew, but with gator. Red sauce is for Italians.*
`2. 20-Gallon Wash Pot: Mr. Fernel fed 250 people. Church fairs, family reunions, hurricane crews. Nana’s using this 5 quart dutch oven.
`3. 6 Jars Instant Chicken: That’s bouillon or chicken base. 1950s flavor bomb. Nana uses Better Than Bouillon today.
`4. Spaghetti Cooks IN the Gravy: No separate pot. Starch from pasta thickens the gravy. “Cook until water starts to disappear” = Mr. Fernel knew.
`5. Gator Tastes Like Veal: White meat, mild, tender if you don’t overcook. 30 minutes and it’s done. Longer = rubber boots.
Nana’s Alligator Spaghetti Recipe
Scaled from Mr. Fernel Leader – Old Manchac Church Cookbook*
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 5 minutes
YIELD: Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS – NANA’S FAMILY SIZE:
- 2 lbs alligator meat, cut in 1-inch chunks – tail meat preferred. Sub: boneless chicken thighs
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped – about 3 cups
- 1/4 cup cooking oil – vegetable or canola
- 2 Tbsp chicken base or bouillon paste – Nana uses Better Than Bouillon.
- 1 lb spaghetti – No. 3 or bucatini. Break in half.
- 4-5 cups water – enough to cover spaghetti
- 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne – to taste
- Green onions + parsley, for garnish
- Grated parmesan, for serving – not church cookbook, but Nana allows it
INSTRUCTIONS – NANA’S WAY:
Step 1: Brown the Gator – Cast Iron or Magnalite
Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy Dutch oven on medium-high. Pat gator DRY. Salt and pepper it. Add to hot oil. Fry till brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes. Gator don’t make grease like pork. Remove meat to plate. Leave brown bits. That’s flavor.
Step 2: Smother Onions – This IS the Gravy
Add 2 chopped onions to same pot. Reduce heat to medium. Saute 20 minutes till onions cook down, turn golden, and make their own gravy. Mr. Fernel said “saute until gravy is made.” This is it. No flour needed. Stir often. Add 1 Tbsp water if sticking.
Step 3: Build the Pot
Return browned gator to pot. Add 2 Tbsp Better than Bouillon + 4 cups water. Bring to boil. Taste. Add salt, pepper, cayenne. Should be salty like pasta water. Water should come about 1 inch above meat. Mr. Fernel said “6 inches from top” – that was for 50 lbs.
Step 4: Spaghetti Goes In Raw
Break 1 lb spaghetti in half. Add to boiling pot. Stir so it don’t clump. Bring back to boil. Cook uncovered 10-12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and “water starts to disappear.” Starch thickens gravy. Don’t drain.
Step 5: Simmer Low – Mr. Fernel’s Secret
Reduce to low. Cover. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Stir once at 15 min. Gravy will thicken, pasta will soak it up, gator gets tender. If too thick, add 1/4 cup warm water. Should be wet, not soupy.
Step 6: Rest + Serve
Turn off heat. Let sit 10 minutes. Sprinkle green onions + parsley. Serve in bowls. Parmesan on top if Pawpaw asks. French bread for sopping. Hot sauce mandatory.
Nana’s Gator Rules + Fixes
Gator tough/rubbery
Overcooked. Gator needs 30 min max total. Simmer low, not boil.
Gravy too thin
Didn’t cook pasta long enough. Simmer uncovered 5 min more. Or add 1 tsp cornstarch slurry.
Gravy too thick/pasty
Added too little water. Add warm stock 1/4 cup at a time till loose.
Can’t find gator
Use boneless chicken thighs. Same cook time. Taste close enough for town folks.
Where to buy gator?
Rouses, local seafood markets or online: Louisiana Crawfish Co. 2 lbs frozen = $30.
What’s “instant chicken”?
1950s bouillon. Use Better Than Bouillon paste today. 2 Tbsp = 6 jars Mr. Fernel used.
What Nana Serves With Alligator Spaghetti
*1. Green Salad:* Iceberg, tomato, cucumber. Ranch. Cuts the rich.*
2. Garlic Bread: French bread, butter, garlic powder. Toasted. For sopping gravy.
3. Corn Maque Choux:* If Nana’s feeling fancy. Sweet corn + peppers.
4. Nothing Else: This is one-pot meal. Mr. Fernel fed 250 with just this. You’ll be fine.
*From Nana’s Kitchen:* Mr. Fernel Leader, Nana don’t know if you caught that 50 lbs of gator yourself, but Nana respects the hustle.
This ain’t for tourists. This is for folks who grew up eating what the bayou gave. If you never had gator, start here. If you have, you know. Either way, don’t tell Nana it tastes like chicken. It tastes like Louisiana.
`Tell Nana: You ever cooked 50 lbs of anything? Team Gator or Team Chicken Thighs? You put parmesan on Cajun spaghetti? Tag @NanaTeesCajunHome – Nana wants to see your pot!
*Shop Nana’s Bayou Kit:*
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