When you think of Louisiana, crayfish comes to mind as one of the important ingredients that makes up the cuisine of that area, called crawfish or crawdads.
Very important to the crop each year is the weather.
If it’s too hot, the females die; too cold, they slow down production, and if there is too much rain, the females leave the water. In other words, conditions have to just right.
Right now, crayfish researchers are unable to predict, but the wet summer might be good for the stock’s survival. Last year, the harvest of crayfish was not good, with a very cold winter.
Commercial production of crayfish began in the late 1800s. The first harvest yielded 23,400 pounds, caught in the natural waterways, which was valued at $2,140. By 1908, production was up, at 88,000 pounds and worth $3,600.
Today, much of the crayfish is farmed in man-made ponds, using controlled water levels to assure the 12 inches of water the crayfish require.
In San Antonio, at the local HEB store, crayfish are being sold for $1.99 a pound. There is not much to eat, only 30 percent of its total weight, so in actuality you are paying more than $6 a pound.
The crayfish in Louisiana is heavily seasoned with a hint of hot peppers and usually served with boiled red potatoes, corn on the cob and sausage, similar to lobster boil in Maine.
Creative dishes include soups, bisques, stuffed, jambalaya or crawfish pie.
Since it is difficult to obtain crawfish in Hilo, medium shrimp or Keahole lobster can be substituted instead. Cooking times will vary.
Crawfish (Crayfish) Boil
Serves: 20-25 people
50 pounds live crawfish
5 pounds crawfish, shrimp and crab boil seasoning mix
3 to 5 pounds small red potatoes
6 medium onions
8 heads garlic
10 ears corn, shucked and cut in half
3 artichokes
1 pound sausage, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
2 pounds large white mushrooms
8 lemons, cut in half, or 4 lemons, cut in half, plus 3 ounces lemon extract
Extra salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Buy fresh crawfish the day you are cooking. If you buy them a day before, hold them in ice chests. Rinse crawfish thoroughly with a hose, preferably on a table with sides, in a giant tub or small child’s swimming pool. Several ice chests will work as well. Empty water several times and hose again to make sure all of the mud and debris are removed. Discard any dead crawfish that float to the top.
In a large outdoor crawfish boiling pot fitted with a strainer, bring 15 gallons of water to a boil over a propane burner. Add seasoning mix. Add potatoes, onions and garlic and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Add artichokes and sausage and boil another 10 minutes. Add corn and mushrooms and boil for 5 more minutes. Remove strainer and let vegetables drain. Check with a fork to make sure vegetables are done. If anything isn’t done, return to the pot for a few more minutes. Place vegetables in an empty ice chest to stay warm.
Return strainer to pot and bring water back to a boil.
Add crawfish to the pot and bring water almost to a boil. Turn off heat when the crawfish begin to float. This allows the crawfish to soak and absorb the seasonings without overcooking. Let crawfish soak for 15 minutes. Taste a couple of crawfish and taste until crawfish reach the degree of seasoning you want to achieve (should be tasty and a little spicy). Add lemons and lemon extract. At this point, continue to soak crawfish and taste until crawfish reach the seasoning you like. Check every 15 minutes, up to one hour. After half or most of the soaking is done, add extra salt or cayenne pepper. When ready, lift crawfish out of the pot, strain and place half on a large table prepared with newspapers. Place the other half in an ice chest to stay warm.
Top the hot crawfish on the table with half the vegetables. When the first batch is devoured, fill the tables with the remaining crawfish and vegetables. Provide crawfish trays for serving, or allow guests to stand around the table to eat. Provide containers for discarding shells and a chest of cold beer. You can have bowls of melted butter for dipping the artichokes and potatoes.
A seafood boil, whether it is with lobster, shrimp or crawfish, has a methodical way to cook it. It is not only about throwing the ingredients in a pot and boiling them. The order, length of time to cook each ingredient, as well as the seasonings are very important to a delicious seafood boil.
Are you ready Drs. Wilcox, Santiago, Dolan, Montell and Lundblat for your special dinner?
Email me at audreywilson 808@gmail.com if you have questions.
