An Evening In Cajun Country!

This past Tuesday, we were invited to a crawfish boil by a cajun family we met here at the RV park.  Daniel and Monika's home is a pleasant 45-minute drive south of the park, smack in the middle of cajun country.  They live on a large piece of land with

their cute (and lively) twin boys.  These boys own more vehicles at age 4 than most men will own in their lifetime!  Also in attendance were Monika's parents, a lovely couple, who live close by. 

The drive there was an education in itself.  There are fields on both sides of the road which are separated by levees made of shored-up soil.  The fields are flooded by degrees and are alternately used to either grow rice or crawfish.  Rather than attempt to explain the process, take a moment to visit Growing Crawfish With Rice.

Daniel, the cook, graciously allowed me to take step-by-step pictures.  But first things first!  We had been warned to wear old clothes as the spices in which the crawfish are cooked will stain if splashed onto your clothes. 

The live crawfish are purchased in 30- to 40-lb sacks.  At an average 3 to 4 inches in length each, there are probably a couple hundred (or more) crawfish in a sack.  First, they are carefully purged in a salt solution to remove any impurities.  Large quantities of spices (mostly hot stuff!) are added to a huge pot of boiling water, as well as potatoes, corn, sausages and whole onions.  Once the potatoes and corn are tender, the vegetables are removed and kept warm.

A full tin of Morton's salt is added to the pot, and it is now time to add the crawfish.  Just like lobster, crawfish turn a bright red once they hit boiling water.  They are left to boil for approximately 20 minutes.  Once they are ready, the crawfish are carefully strained then poured onto a plastic-covered table with a hole in the center (shells are dropped into a trashcan below). 

Our hosts kindly showed us how to get to the meat within.  First you twist off the head, pinch the top of the tail to crack the shell, peal off the shell and legs, remove the "vein" and you are ready to enjoy the meat.  They had prepared a yummy dip which complemented the crawfish to perfection. 

I would like to end this post by saying how honoured we felt to be invited into the home of a true Cajun family.  It is one thing to eat cajun food in a restaurant, but quite another to eat "the real thing" surrounded by a proud, hardworking family with a rich Acadian background.  They shared stories about their family, their neighbours and the history of the area.  Although they hardly knew us, they welcomed us with open arms and for that, we are truly thankful.