We ruined a sack of crawdads this past Sunday. I decided to try the Zatarain's seasoning in the bags, haven't seen them used since I was a small lad. They once came in small knit bags, they now come in plastic bags. Anyway, I brought the water to a boil and put the seasoning in with potatoes. I planned to take out the bags after a few minutes and return them to the pot in the basket with the crawfish. My Dad, however, put the basket in with the crawfish without removing the seasoning bags. As a result, the basket pushed the bags to the bottom of the pot. I wanted to remove the bugs and get the bags off the bottom but Dad insisted they'll turn out fine. They didn't. The only seasoning taste was the 12 lemons I squeezed into the water. So instead of some hot bugs, we spent time peeling tails for an etoufee. :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire There still should have been a better taste with the small amount of time the bags boiled with the potatoes, I think I'll avoid the bags in the future. Anyone else use the bags?
Same thing happened to me a few years ago! But my bags busted! (that's a funny sentence). I've never used them again! Go with what you know, and what you don't know ...ask :thumb:
Many people around here (Evangeline Parish) pour the zatarains seasoning on the crawfish as the pour them into an ice chest........then shake the ice chest and steam them for 10 minutes and the seasoning disolves/is soaked in. No seasoning is put in the water (Sometimes salt in water). I was sceptical at first (Years back) but have eaten it like that many times and find it just as good. A lot of the seaoning comes from your fingers touching the tail meat as you peel it anyway. Personally, we only eat them a few times a year and I enjoy buying them boiled, 3 miles down the road from my house (Both ways). Used to boil some once a year for my in-laws and my wife's aunt and uncle but doing it only once a year, I kinda lost my routine and didn't find them as good- my in-laws didn't know any better as they've never eaten any "Bad ones". :hihi: I love the atmosphere of a crawfish boil but hate having to go dump the water and clean everything, but up the burner, bottles, etc. afterwards.
"Mudbugs". lol That reminds me of when we'd go to John Newcomb's tennis camp in San Antonio in the 80's and the kids there would come to our room to hear us talk and would ask us if we "Really ATE those mudbugs". I'd say, "YOU DAM RIGHT we do".
I've heard of but never seen it, we always season in the pot and go straight to the table with them. My fingers never touch the meat, I break the tail off and pull the meat from the tail with my mouf, then suck da head. It's the quickest way :wink: Us too, I've only boild them myself once per year for the last 3-4 years. The local places are very good.
Damn 71, I hate to hear that tale of woe. I haven't been to a boil this year, but have had a couple of good etoufees. I may end up sitting out this year on being at a crawfish boil, but hope to make up for it next year. There are some truly bizarre methods for boiling crawfish. Leave Louisiana (even by less than 100 miles) and you'll see some of 'em. Like ONLY seasoning AFTER they're out of the boiler. Wow. I thought I was going to crush a guy's larynx when he claimed that was the "authentic" way to cook 'em. I guess he could have been right if he was talking about some sort of 'tard colony in Britain or something.
There are some crazy methods. We went to a boil one time and the crawfish just tasted hot. No flavor. Just spicy, cayenne hot. I said something about why they didn't taste like crab boil, and they told me he didn't use any, and how they were so much better. When I tell you that McDonalds on the way home was better....Apparently this guy was from your 'tard colony.
