Some folks here in Louisiana consider eating crawfish an Olympic event. It is definitely a skill to learn and practice, or you’ll be left at an empty table and not-so-full tummy. Study this method and you will be able to compete with the best of us Louisianans.
• Grasp the head with one hand, and the tail with the other.
• Gently squeeze the tail near where it connects with the head.
• Twist the tail until it separates from the head.
• Squeeze the tail to make it crack from where the head was to the tail (not necessary with small crawfish)
• You may want to remove the black line (we’ll let you figure out for yourselves what that is)
• Peel or pull away the shell. You can peel a small section near where the head was, grab it with your teeth, and squeeze the rest of the shell so that it slips out (requires practice).
• If the claws are large, carefully remove the pincher to extract the claw meat.
• Suck the head, optional (if you’re brave)! It’s probably best that you don’t look at it first.
While good crawfish do not require any dipping sauce, many people like to use sauces to enhance the flavor. The most popular seem to be Ketchup or Ketchup+Mayonnaise.
Enjoy your crawfish and “Laissez les bon temps rouler”! (Let the good times roll). This is our philosophy in Louisiana and is a phrase you will hear and read often when here.