Ode to a Crawfish Boil

Possibly the most iconic food served in southern Louisiana is the humble boiled crawfish. These small crustaceans are carefully washed, painstakingly sorted, and boiled to perfection. Into the pot we add sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, lemons, boil (sold as crawfish or crab boil seasoning), salt and plenty of cayenne pepper.

The first batch is zesty, with a peppery capsaicin bite that tweaks your taste buds. Between batches, the pot gets replenished with more boil, salt, and cayenne before the crawfish and sides go in. The second batch sets off alarm bells in your tongue, and the beer goes down fast to cool off. The third batch makes you sweat even more than the Louisiana heat. The fourth batch feels like a bad idea at first bite, but you’ve come this far, so at least have some.

The fifth batch…. About that. We’ve been standing over this hot, boiling pot all afternoon. We’ve had a few beers. Plus a few more. Why don’t you go inside and heat up some of that jambalaya from dinner last night. And wash your hands before you touch your face or go to the bathroom, baby. You’ll cry for days if you don’t.