Crawfish Boil

Yesterday I went to a crawfish boil for the boy's brother-in-law. The boy was working so I drove myself. Of course first went the wrong way on the interstate, and then missed the turnoff into their neighborhood and drove about 20 minutes out of the way. I was nervous on the drive over, partly because I didn't want to get lost but also because I get nervous when I go to any social type of gathering myself (Does anybody else freak themselves out this way). I'm glad I went though because I had a really great time.

For those not in the know, a crawfish boil in Louisiana's version of a Maryland crab feast. (Unfortunately, if you're not familiar with a crab feast I'm not sure what to compare it too.) You cover the table with newspaper and dump the seafood on top. One thing they add are a few vegetables to soak up all the seasoning. This one had corn, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and sausages (not a veggie I know). Other people mentioned having broccoli or artichoke hearts as well. There were 3 batches, (what's on the table is only the third batch to give you an idea of how much there was).

Now just for fun a crash course on how to eat a crawfish. At first glace they look a little scary, and can be a little intimidating when you first start. But since there's so little meat in each one, you get a lot of practice. So here goes...

Step 1: Break of the head. Yes it does sound cruel. But they have already been boiled alive, so it can't get a whole lot worse. Some people like to suck the juice out of the head. Some people don't. I'll do it every once in a while. All you really get is a spicy flavor.

Step 2: Peel the tail. I find it works best if you fold it in half first to break it and then peel the pieces off. There's about 1 or 2 bites in each tail.

Step 3: Break open the claws. The is an optional step, that a lot of people don't feel gets you get enough bang for your buck. I'll only really do it if the claws are HUGE. I think part of it is because I used to eat Maryland crabs which had far bigger claws. I just don't think the claws are worth the effort most of the time.

So there you have it! Just in case you get invited to a crawfish boil soon, you now know what to do!

~Shoshanah