With spring quickly approaching, now is the best time to buy crawfish. Originally part of Native Americans’ diets in the South and Midwest, crawfish — aka “mudbugs” — became a staple meal for Louisiana’s Cajun population due to their abundancy and how easy they are to catch. Now, seafood fans across the globe have caught on to the trend.
If you’re looking for the best place to source live crawfish nationally, make your way to Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin and get a fishing license. As crawfish increased in popularity in the 1960s, farmers turned flooded rice fields into crawfish ponds and made Louisiana the nation’s leader in crawfish production. Louisiana supplies the country with 100 to 120 million pounds of crawfish per year.
If a lengthy road trip isn’t in your plans but you still want to catch your own, head to Arizona’s Rim Country, where the invasive species is open for unlimited catching for personal use with a valid fishing license.
At Angry Crab Shack, where I work as kitchen development manager, we source our crawfish from the Gulf Coast, Texas and Louisiana. Wherever you source yours from, here are some tips for cooking and eating this Cajun delicacy.
While there are multiple ways to cook crawfish, the most popular method is to put them back in the water and boil them — after a proper rinse with fresh cold water, of course!
You’ll need a pot that holds a gallon of water for every five pounds of crawfish. A typical serving size is 3 to 4 pounds per person.
You can season the water using a pre-packaged seasoning pouch or make your own seasoning blend using butter and spices of your choice including salt, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
Bring the pot to a boil, then add ingredients like corn, potatoes, sausage and lemons. Recover and cook until corn and potatoes are tender.
Now it’s time to add the crawfish. Toss them in, cover and cook for around five minutes or until the shells look bright red and float to the top. Be careful not to overcook, or they’ll get mushy.
Quickly remove the pot from heat, dump in enough ice to significantly drop the water temperature and let everything soak for 15 minutes to absorb more flavor. If you don’t want to use the ice method, remove the crawfish with a large strainer and let the other ingredients soak.
Eating crawfish is almost as much of an art as cooking it! For first-timers, it can seem intimidating but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be a pro in no time.
Grab a crawfish between your thumb and index fingers on the head and tail. Firmly push the tail toward the head while twisting, ripping it in two. Take the tail and separate the meat from the shell, using your hands or mouth, and enjoy! If you’re feeling adventurous, suck out the juices from the crawfish’s head, then toss the empty shell and grab your next bite.
Crawfish boils are best enjoyed with friends and family. They’re a popular staple at birthdays, graduation parties and anniversaries, as well as fundraising events for local organizations and charities.
If you’re craving crawfish but you’re not inclined to boil them yourself, there’s always restaurants like Angry Crab Shack, where you can savor a meal that comes with amenities like a bib, gloves and butcher paper for easy cleanup.
Editor’s note: Michael Chavez is kitchen development manager at Angry Crab Shack. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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