In the South, crawfish boils are a time-honored tradition — messy, delicious, and spicy, usually packed with corn, red potatoes, Andouille sausage, garlic, seasonings, and of course, the eponymous red crawfish. However, if you've never encountered a boil before, let alone a crawfish, eating the little crustaceans for the first time can be intimidating. What's the right way to peel them? Are seafood crackers necessary? How can you ensure that you get the most meat out of the shell?
In a recent chat with Food & Wine, Eric Simpkins, co-founder of Atlanta-based Big Citizen (the parent company behind Bon Ton), shared his tried-and-true method for eating crawfish, which he simply describes as "twist and pull." He's had a lot of practice at Bon Ton, which offers Viet-Cajun fare like blackened catfish banh mi sandwiches and crawfish boiled by the pound, spiced with a secret recipe prepared by his business partner's mother — not even Simpkins is privy to the close-kept family secret.
As the restaurant's beverage director, he also gave us a few drinks to pair with crawfish once you get comfortable eating them, from sour beers to frozen coffees. Crawfish boils can be tricky — but with the right technique and a cooling drink, you'll soon be eating with the best of them. Check out his tips and recommendations below.
How to eat crawfish
Step 1: Twist and pull
First, Simpkins says you need to gently twist the tail away from the body, twisting and pulling, "almost kind of rocking the tail out of the main part of the body."
Step 2: Pinch and suck
This step involves pinching from the bottom of the underside of the crawfish tail, closest to the tail fin. You pinch there and press up along it, almost like you would with a Fla-Vor-Ice freezer pop, guiding the tail meat out. Then, you gently grip the meat with your teeth to ease the rest of it out. If you're successful, he says, you'll get it all out in one try without biting through it or having to peel the tail off the meat.
Step 3: Take the shot
If you're feeling daring, another fun method involves taking the head of a crawfish, crushing it, and sucking on it like a shot glass, according to Simpkins. This will get you the innards left in the head, along with leftover boil juices that have a spicy kick.
What to drink with crawfish
Frozen drinks
At Bon Ton, Simpkins says they love to serve frozen drinks with their crawfish boils, since the latter packs a spicy punch — especially if it's been cooking all day and the spices have really intensified.
"We have a Vietnamese frozen Irish coffee that has a handmade ice cream base with brandy, chicory liqueur, Irish whiskey, and lots of sweetened condensed milk," he says. "The creaminess of that with the temperature really takes out the sting of the boil. And then, even though it doesn't have cream in it, the fruitiness of our frozen version of a handmade fruit cup or Pimm's Cup is amazing. We use a fresh syrup made in-house with passion fruit, strawberries, and mango. It's a beautiful, frozen, light, and refreshing [drink] — another great way to balance out the heat."
Cold beer
"I think you're always looking for things that are refreshing, very cold, and acidic to pair with the boil," Simpkins says. "Of course, you can't go wrong with beers. We like to drink a classic, basic pilsner or lager with a crawfish boil. I also think saisons and fruit-driven sour beers are delicious with it. There are so many great sours out there that work so well."
Wine
"Wine-wise, I think you're looking for aromatic, off-dry Rieslings and Alsace wines to pair with the heat and the aromatics," he explains. "Not just the Cajun aromatics but the Vietnamese aromatics that play with [makrut] lime and basil. And the other things we add that are a little less traditional to our boil."
FAQs
Beer. The go-to drink for people who want to enjoy crawfish boils is beer. This drink is incredibly refreshing, cold, and acidic, especially when paired with crawfish. This classic drink complements the powerful flavors of crawfish boil by enhancing its sour notes and mellowing the kick with its malty flavors.
What drink goes well with crawfish? ›
"Of course, you can't go wrong with beers. We like to drink a classic, basic pilsner or lager with a crawfish boil. I also think saisons and fruit-driven sour beers are delicious with it. There are so many great sours out there that work so well."
What pairs with crawfish? ›
Here are some of the best side dishes to serve with crawfish etouffee:
- Cornbread: Cornbread is a classic side dish that goes well with just about any type of food. ...
- Green Beans: ...
- Potato Salad: ...
- Cajun Rice: ...
- French Bread: ...
- Mashed potatoes: ...
- Baked beans: ...
- Salad:
According to Brennan, you should eat every part of the crawfish except the shells. “All the meat is in the tail but the fat in the head is delicious. I hate it when I see folks just tossing them,” Brennan says.
What beer goes best with crawfish? ›
American Pale Lager – This is an especially light beer as it does not contain fillers such as corn and rice but has a stronger malty flavor that works well with the seasonings used in a crawfish boil.
How do you get the most flavor in crawfish? ›
One important tip Seither stresses is to add different ingredients at the proper time. He says items like onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf and potatoes are essential ingredients for a boil for the right flavor. These ingredients make crawfish taste “like what we think crawfish is supposed to taste like.”
What alcoholic drinks go well with seafood? ›
Yes, some seafood dishes can be combined with co*cktails such as Gin Martini, Mojito, or Bloody Mary. Even though white wine and pale ale are the most popular choices for seafood pairings, some dishes, especially seasonal seafood, go well with mixed drinks.
How should crawfish be served? ›
Crawfish are served whole, so if you've never eaten them before, you may want to ask your waiter or waitress how to eat them. They look like little lobsters, but they don't have the claws that lobsters do. You can peel off their shells and eat the tail meat or suck out the juices from the head.
How much crawfish is enough for 2 people? ›
As a rule of thumb, you will need about 3 to 5 pounds of crawfish per guest if they are the main protein of the meal.
What months should you not eat crawfish? ›
When To Buy Crawfish? Crawfish season can last from November to July, especially during an exceptionally warm and wet winter. Still, the most reliable months—and the time you'll find the best crawfish—are in the springtime and early summer, from late February through May.
Standard crawfish boils include andouille sausage, onions, potatoes, and corn, boiled 10 minutes before adding the crawfish, which cook for another three. Also excellent boiled with the crawfish: cauliflower, artichokes, whole garlic cloves, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and any other veg that boils well.
Can you eat the yellow stuff in crawfish? ›
Do You Eat The Yellow Stuff In Crawfish Heads? Yes! The yellow stuff doesn't necessarily look edible, but many consider it the best part of the crawfish.
Is crawfish good for you? ›
Crawfish actually have some health benefits. They are low in calories, a good source of protein, and provide many essential vitamins and minerals. A serving of crawfish, which is about 3 ounces of peeled crawfish tails, is only 70 calories.
How to make crawfish juicy? ›
Or, give them a spray of fresh, cool water from the faucet or water hose. Add enough to replace the amount of water that evaporated during the boil. Allow the crawfish to soak in the seasoned water until they sink to the bottom. The idea here is to cool them slightly and push water into the shell for a juicier bite.
How many pounds of crawfish does the average person eat? ›
3 POUNDS PER PERSON IS A GOOD GUIDELINE!
This is an average order in a crawfish restaurant in Louisiana. Big eaters will eat 5 pounds or more.
How to properly eat a crawfish? ›
Things You Should Know
Put your mouth over the back of the crawfish's head and suck the juices out. Bend the crawfish's tail backward to break apart the shell. Pull out the middle tail fin to devein the crawfish before eating the meat. Move the pinchers on the claws back and forth until it snaps and pulls out.
What do you drink at a crawfish boil? ›
The go-to drink for people who want to enjoy crawfish boils is beer. This drink is incredibly refreshing, cold, and acidic, especially when paired with crawfish. This classic drink complements the powerful flavors of crawfish boil by enhancing its sour notes and mellowing the kick with its malty flavors.
What goes best with crawfish? ›
The best side dishes to serve with a crawfish boil are coleslaw, cornbread, jambalaya, onion rings, hush puppies, grilled vegetables, potato salad, green salad, garlic bread, red beans and rice, fried okra, and collard greens.
What wine pairs with crawfish? ›
Sauvignon Blanc is one wine that experts agree pairs perfectly with a really classic crawfish boil.
What alcohol goes well with a seafood boil? ›
White wine is the go-to choice for pairing with seafood. Similar to a squeeze of lemon, dry white wine adds splashes of citrus and a bit of sweetness to buttery, briny seafood. It also cleanses the palate to make each bite taste like new.
The secret to great crawfish is not boiling the crustaceans, but instead poaching them in hot water, allowing them to soak up seasonings as they finish cooking. Costanza and McCusker brought the covered pot of water and seasonings to a hard rolling boil, which took 15 to 20 minutes.
Why put lemons in a crawfish boil? ›
Adding citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, and pineapples will give the seafood boil a slight hint of sweet, yet citrusy flavor. If your seafood boil is spicy, this will even be better! Spicy, sweet, and citrusy go well together.
Why put oranges in a crawfish boil? ›
"A lot of home cooks spend a lot of time cutting up fruit. It's a waste of time," Willie Chapman said. Chapman said he uses juice for two reasons: One, using a gallon of citrus helps to add some mild flavor, and two, the sugar in the juice helps to balance the heat of the crawfish.
What drink pairs with seafood boil? ›
While lagers are light and clean, blending with seafood's sweetness, pilsners are more bitter with floral nuances, making the flavors of a festive seafood boil stand out. Summer ales carry the same refreshing taste, although they can be on the fruity side, giving the meal an interesting twist.
What drinks go well with Cajun food? ›
In general, when it comes to Cajun and Creole dishes, you can't go wrong with an aromatic low-ABV white wine or a rosé. Alcohol will exacerbate heat, so be sure to stick with a low-ABV varietal when enjoying spicy dishes. A wine you can chill is also a plus, since a cold beverage makes a good companion for hot foods.
What do you drink with Cajun seafood? ›
Seafood is both acidic and sweet, perfect for balancing out with a glass of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Rose and blush wines such as Pinot Noir and Sangiovese can refresh a thickly-coated palette drowning in butter.
What do you bring to a crawfish party? ›
Do bring something to the table. Whether it is beer, ice, more beer, a side dish, or more beer, it is always proper to bring something to the crawfish boil that you can share with others.
