Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 4:41pm

Gator’s Back on the Menu

 

 

 

Father Z advises us of this taste treat for our Lenten repasts:

 

:

I have posted on this in the past, but repetita iuvant as we say in Latin.

ORIGINAL:

Someone sent me a copy of a letter written by the Archbishop of New Orleans to a member of his flock about eating alligator during Lent.  The answer is “yes”.  You may eat alligator during Lent.

This is old news to readers of this blog, of course.  Last year I posted this, which ought to have settled the whole thing:

QUAERITUR: Abstinentia de carne lacertina aut crocodrillina

Ex lectoris e-pistulis extractum:

Reverendo patro Ioanni Zuhlsdorfo discipulus C. salutem et commemorationem in precibus suis. Gratias meas, sivis, ob opum tuam tibi agere volo. [Acceptae.] Mihi, catholico iuveni et discipulo in collegio liberalum artis et liberalum (aut impudicarum) mentum, scripturae tuae magnam auxilium fuerunt. Mox Ludovicianam meabo. Quaeritur: Sineturne corpus alligatoris feria VI in Quadregesima sine violando abstinentiam Quadragesimae edere?

Ossificatus manualista impoenitens respondeo de paginis Compendii Theologiae Moralis (Sabetti-Barrett) n. 331, :

Nomine carnis veniunt omnia animalia in terra viventia ac respirantia, ut communiter admittunt theologi ex regula tradita a S. Thoma vel, ut S. Alphonsus innuit, n. 1011, animalia quae sanguinem habent calidum; vel illud quod consuetudo regionis ut carnem habet; vel, si nec consuetudo praesto sit, dubium solvi potest considerando mentem Ecclesiae in sanciendo delectu ciborum, ut comprimendae ac minuendae carnis concupiscentiae per salutarem abstinetiam consuleret; examinetur, an huiusmodi animal simile sit aut dissimile iis quorum esus interdictus est et an illius carnes humano corpori validius nutriendo et roborando idoneae dignoscantur; et si ita appareat, ista caro inter vetitas est ponenda. Benedict XIV., De syn. dioec., lib.11, c. 5, n. 12. Haec quatuor multum deservient omni dubitationi solvendae.

Ergo, crocodrilli et lacertae inter reptilia sunt et amphibia.

Edi ergo possunt feriis sextis et tempore Quadragesimae

Omnibus tamen diebus ab eis edimur!

So, there you have it.

You can eat alligator and crocodile on Fridays of Lent.

Go here to read the comments.  Barbecue Gator would probably be tolerable.  However the Gator does require some preparation:

Alligators are therefore licit to eat on Fridays.  I would caution our Middle Earth readers however that orcs, if you are desperate enough to have to eat one, are most definitely classified as meat:

 

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Mary De Voe
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 1:28pm

Tastes like chicken?

The Other Andrew B
The Other Andrew B
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 2:50pm

The Catholic Church has cast a fairly broad net as to what is acceptable in Lent. Basically, “if it swims in water, it is ripe for the slaughter”–seal, manatee, gator. Even strictly terrestrial fare such as tortoises (since they look like turtles) was fair game. I, personally, will stick to cod, flounder and tilapia, but then I am a sentimentalist.

Pinky
Pinky
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 3:02pm

Does the gator know that it shouldn’t eat you for Lent?

Phillip
Phillip
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 6:55pm

If in Prairieville, LA, go to Sammy’s. They have the best fried alligator appetizer around.

Philip
Philip
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 8:55pm

Mary De Voe asks; “Taste like chicken?”

No. Gator-bait has a remarkable similarity in texture and flavor to chicken. Gator texture is a cross between adolescent seal pups and snail-darter’s. The flavor of Gator is mistakenly close to American Snowy Owl….which, mind you, you must abstain from on Fridays during Lent.
Bon appetite! 🙂

Philip
Philip
Friday, February 20, AD 2015 9:06pm

Because of the Global Warming and the unusual advance of Snowy Owls to southern states, Rome has granted a dispensation on the white birds for Fridays. This has NOT been confirmed by EOTT.

Mary De Voe
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 9:25am

Philip, does gator come in cans? I think I will pass. God bless.

Philip
Philip
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 1:14pm

I was obnoxious last night. Trying to hard to be cute. Pearls is an eatery near home, Elk Rapids Mich. I’ve eaten their appetizer, gator, and it was so-so.
Once was enough.
Canned Gator? Why not?
Take care.

Don Lond
Don Lond
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 1:39pm

The Other Andrew B:
I understood that manatee–a mammal–was once scientifically considered a fish because of the Catholic Portuguese explores having/desiring to eat it on Fridays. Then again, lobster was considered stripped bass bait and hardly was aesthetic enough to eat on Fridays. Some changes are good. I suppose.

Don Lond
Don Lond
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 1:40pm

The Other Andrew B:
I understood that manatee–a mammal–was once scientifically considered a fish because of the Catholic Portuguese explorers having/desiring to eat it on Fridays. Then again, lobster was considered striped bass bait and hardly was aesthetic enough to eat on Fridays. Some changes are good. I suppose.

CAM
CAM
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 7:38pm

Creole turtle soup is delicious. The true version is made from terrapin, which I’ve only had access to once. Usually I use veal or pork stew meat. It is never made from sea turtle. I’ve had fried gator and cooter (turtle) in LA and FL. Both appetizers are a novelty. Since it’s like chicken I guess it takes white wine though an Abita beer is better.

fish can take a swim
fish can take a swim
Saturday, February 21, AD 2015 10:15pm

I’ll stick to peanut butter. Less pentitential for me than eating fish — even with lots of ketchup. Yup, I wriggle out of that sacrifice ; )

trackback
Thursday, March 5, AD 2015 10:50am

[…] Stem Cell Research and ‘Science vs. Religion’ – Joe Heschmeyer, Strange Notions Gator’s Back on the Menu – Donald R. McClarey JD, The American Catholic Pope Francis and Gender Theory – Brianna […]

David
David
Thursday, March 5, AD 2015 3:21pm

I sometimes feel guilty on Lenten Friday’s loving fish more than anything, maybe I should try gator-
– does it pair well with doppelbock ?

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