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Crawfish: They live in the mud and eat dead stuff

Mayhaw Man

By Mayhaw Man
in Louisiana: Cooking & Baking

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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I am invited to my first big crawfish boil of the season this Saturday and I am way more excited than any right minded person should be. I love those little devils and the whole cooking operation that surrounds them. The big onion sacks filled with writhing crustaceans, the onion, lemons, garlic, artichokes, bell peppers, sausages, and all of the other crawfish boiling accoutrement. I like the giant pots of steaming, spiced water and the sound of a burner bringing it up to a boil. I love the sound of beer cans being cracked open and the music coming from the speakers on the porch. I like the sound of the kids playing in the yard while the men stand around a watch water boil (dispelling any truth to the old saw "a watched pot never boils"-because it does, I have seen it many times :wink: .

Marcelle Bienvenue on Crawfish

In today's Picayune Marcelle Bienvenue has her first crawfish related article of the season (she will write five or six before summer comes) and it contains a good story (as always involving her family, neighbors, and her long suffering husband Rock. THere are a couple of strong recipes at the end of the article (Crawfish Cardinale and Fried Crawfish) that some of you might like to try. And I would also like to take a little space to appeal to those of you that buy crawfish meat to make sure the package says "Product of Louisiana" on it before you buy it. Our fishermen need all of the help they can get and we would all appreciate your support. Sure they cost a little more, but you will find that if you buy a package of Louisana Crawfish Tails and another package of some import that in ONE side by side taste test that the Louisiana tails are far superior in taste, size, and in the amount of delicious fat contained in the package (most imports have steamed washed tails and have no flavor and even less fat, the essential ingredient for great crawfish dishes).

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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PopsicleToze

PopsicleToze

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Mayhaw, I'm envious. No crawfish boils YET this season, but I did have some boiled crawfish (and a few crabs thrown in for good measure) at The Galley Seafood on Old Metairie a few weeks ago. The crawfish were somewhat small -- but the flavor was terrific. Still, I missed the newspaper on the table, the sausages, onions, etc. After Mardi Gras madness has passed, we'll have our first boil -- maybe next weekend. Hope you have a great time!

Rhonda

Food blog - Honeysuckles and Huckleberries... growing up in the Louisiana Countryside

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bandregg

bandregg

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I'm a little north of you, up in NC, but your post gives me much hope for the coming spring! I can't wait for that first trip to the big farmers market in raleigh to buy a bag of live, squirming, bliss.

Bryan C. Andregg

"Give us an old, black man singing the blues and some beer. I'll provide the BBQ."

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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I should probably start this somewhere else, but for those of you that attend the World's Greatest Food and Music Festival, you are welcome to come to wherever the hell our annual rediculously large and slightly complicated crawfish boil will be. Sometimes on the Northshore at my house on the second Wednesday (this year that would be April 28) and sometimes at various locations on the Southshore (New Orleans proper) on the second Thursday (April 29 this year). This year it will likely be on the Northshore at my house as lots of people involved in this don't go home between the weekends and we are usually looking for more stupidity after resting up from the first weekend on Monday and Tuesday.

It is usually big deal (in an understated "New Orleans-we're happy in the second world" kind of way :shock: ) and we pretty much let friends bring friends (as long as they bring libations and ice :wink: ) so I don't see why we shouldn't plan this as an event of some sort.

So I will think about the mechanics of it all (and discuss it with my co-conspirators) and get back with you soon. Anyway, if you're around you would certainly be welcome.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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davebr

davebr

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I bought 20lbs tonight. Dont gauwk at me, I grew up near Lafitte. But, there is a place called the crawfish hole #2 in Dixie Inn, Louisiana. The guy owns a crawfish farm and saves the biggest crawfish for the restaurant. I swear to all of you, during the peak of the season, you can eat the claws off of each crawfish they are so big! I have never seen or tasted anything like it in all of my years (32) of eating. We all have been on Atkins forever, I guess its the booze that keeps the weight on me.

Gorganzola, Provolone, Don't even get me started on this microphone.---MCA Beastie Boys

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Nick

Nick

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In today's Picayune Marcelle Bienvenue has her first crawfish related article of the season (she will write five or six before summer comes) and it contains a good story (as always involving her family, neighbors, and her long suffering husband Rock. THere are a couple of strong recipes at the end of the article (Crawfish Cardinale and Fried Crawfish) that some of you might like to try. Marcelle Bienvenue on Crawfish

Brooks, That link now goes to something about cakes. Any way to get the original? I've never had crawfish, but would like to learn more. Right now we're in the middle of shrimp season here in Maine, but it hasn't been good. No market.

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hjshorter

hjshorter

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My dear husband has been pestering me to agree to have a crawfish boil. He's found sites that will Fedex to Maryland, but the minimum order is 40 pounds. Forty punds of squirming arthropods dumped on my doorstep... :wacko:

If he succeeds in talking me into it this year, all DC area egulleteers will be more than welcome to come help him eat them. Knowing Scott, plenty of beer will be involved.

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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Nick-I fixed the link. Sorry about that.

HJshorter-The minimum order has to do with the way that the bugs are packed as they come from the packing house. They are loaded into onion sacks and the average weight is somewhere between 35 and 45 pounds. Here in crawfish world that would be enough for about 8 people if you are using the 5 lb. per person measure.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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hjshorter

hjshorter

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HJshorter-The minimum order has to do with the way that the bugs are packed as they come from the packing house. They are loaded into onion sacks and the average weight is somewhere between 35 and 45 pounds. Here in crawfish world that would be enough for about 8 people if you are using the 5 lb. per person measure.

Thanks Brooks, that's interesting. My crawfish-craving husband would probably get 2 sacks, and invite a bunch of folks over. He'd want leftovers for crawfish pizza too. :blink:

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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Heh, heh, heh -- right now, Bill Klapp and I are conspiring to do a major bayou-type of feast next month. Thanks for inspiring us, Brooks. Wanna come?

If I come with a carload of seafood I suppose that I would be even more welcome. :hmmm: I will pm you and maybe we can work something out.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Varmint

Varmint

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Heh, heh, heh -- right now, Bill Klapp and I are conspiring to do a major bayou-type of feast next month.  Thanks for inspiring us, Brooks.  Wanna come?

If I come with a carload of seafood I suppose that I would be even more welcome. :hmmm: I will pm you and maybe we can work something out.

Deal. I'll supply the smoked pork shoulder.

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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PopsicleToze

PopsicleToze

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I'm so jealous. For years I've been trying to find a place for crawfish boil here in the Bay Area. I don't think one exists. I can eat about four pounds all by myself.

That's about right. Exactly. When planning a crawfish boil, we plan on 5# per man and 3# per woman present. Equal group = 4#/each!

Rhonda

Food blog - Honeysuckles and Huckleberries... growing up in the Louisiana Countryside

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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$1.50-$1.75 currently. The supply is good, but it is so early in the season that you have to order sacks several days in advance to be guaranteed a supply.

Last year they got down to .90 at the height of the season. We are having a small boil on Sunday p.m. and have 2 sacks (roughly eighty pounds) reserved.

Where did you get them in Atlanta? Where did they say they came from.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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