For those who don't like crawfish, there were other food options; some were Cajun inspired while others were local food vendors selling their wares. The former were the more successful. The longest line was for the stand selling beignets, a hunk of deep-fried dough covered in a huge amount of powdered sugar. They were overwhelmed with customers as it appeared only one person was making them. One line was to buy them and a second line to pick them up. The Ragin' Cajun food truck seen on Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race was there. I was disappointed I missed out the vendor who sold out of alligator. The lemonade stand, which offered different flavors, seemed to be doing well. I wasn't surprised to find no one ordering Mexican or Chinese food during my trips through the food area as you can get that type of food anytime.
The only negative was not enough trashcans around the grounds because quite a number of people were slobs and left the remains of their meals on the ground, though I know there's no guarantee they would have used them.
I enjoyed my time and anticipate returning to next year's Long Beach Crawfish Festival.
Article comments
1 - Jordan Richardson
Sounds good. I've not had crawfish before but it's certainly on my expansive to-eat list.
2 - El Bicho
they are like peanuts. once you start, it's hard to stop
3 - STM
Yep, I love shellfish. The Aussie versions are, prawns (large shrimp), yabbies (freshwater crayfish) and what we call lobster (actually a large type of saltwater cray with most of the edible flesh in the huge tail).
I had crawfish in the states, in New Orleans, some years back where they boiled 'em up with spices. Delicious little critters. EB is right, you can't stop at 10. Ours Down Under are only boiled in plain saltwater, and you need to put something on 'em afterwards, or add to the taste some other way.
Cocktail dipping sauce (tabasco, mayo and ketchup mixed together) is good - simply peel off the hard shell and dip em in - but plain old beer is the preferred option.
How to:
1) Buy your shellfish fresh from a shop on the waterfront. 2) Buy beer. 3) Out of the paper wrapper eat a prawn (or yabby, or a bit of lobster tail). 4) Wash it down with beer.
Potatoes and corn sounds good, but beer sounds better. I suggest all Americans write to the organisers in Long Beach ahead of next year's pig-out.
Apart from that, I wish I'd been at EB's crawfish festival enjoying myself with thousands of people instead of watching Australia get smashed by New Zealand in the rugby today and having a depressing time with thousands of people.
4 - STM
I forgot to add: The shrimp and crawfish I had in New Orleans might have been close to the best things I've ever eatn.
Must have been the cajun spices added to the water. Whatever it was, it was better than good
5 - El Bicho
I love shellfish as well. Can't get enough of shrimp, crab, lobster. There's going to be a Lobster Fest in Long Beach soon, but I am unfortunately going to miss it as I will be away visiting family and attending the Toronto Film Festival. For some odd reason, many people like to soak their lobster in melted butter, but I find the meat to taste spectacular on its own and the butter just runs it.
6 - S.T..M
I agree EB. Lobster tastes perfect on its own. However, there's something that makes it even better: I don't know if you guys on the other side of the big pond have seafood cocktail sauce, or whether it's just an Aussie thing. You can buy it pre-mixed here but I prefer to make my own.
So if not, mix a bit of tabasco - yes, only a bit - some ketchup, a touch of lemon or lime juice, black pepper, pinch of salt and a shit load of quality mayo in a small bowl. Keep adding ketchup until the mayo turns orange. Dip finger in to taste until you get the mix right. It shouldn't taste like hot, tomato-flavoured mayo. It becomes something completely different.
Peel off a bit of lobster tail, whack it in the sauce, and voila ... seafood heaven. I suspect Americans might already know this, but just in case ...
This works well with any shellfish, but it's especially good with shrimp. Big tiger prawns are best. I can eat a kilo of the buggers in one go.
I'm reflecting on the food differences between here and the US: The shellfish I ate tasted better than here, but might not always have been so fresh, which might be the case with food generally as ours comes directly from farm/producer to market. Smaller population means less need to warehouse or freeze. Americans make bland foods taste good, though.
American hamburgers are the best on the planet. No one in Oz has been able to replicate taste sensations like In'N'Out.
The first thing I do whenever I go to the US is go and order a dirty great big burger, meadium rare.
The US has given us many things, most good, but in my mind, the perfectly cooked hamburger is up there with the best.
Crawfish occupy the same rung on the ladder :)
7 - El Bicho
Yes, we do have a cocktail sauce in stores and it's usually served with shrimp at restaurants. Not sure what they make it with but when I whip it up at home, I use ketchup and horseradish with a splash of lemon juice. I will definitely be having my next lobster with a side of cocktail sauce. Thanks for the suggestion.
8 - S.T..M
Needs mayo EB. Horseradish sounds interesting though. All this talk has fired up a craving: I'm having prawns for lunch tomorrow. Got an extra day off, so I'm up the road to the mall to get some from the fresh seafood joint. A kilo should do the trick. There's a Japanese shop up there too, which is where I get the mayo. I don't know what it's called as the label is in Japanese, but it's the best I've tried for making this sauce.
Cheers mate!