Creek Lobster

Subject: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:10 am

Listen while you read...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK4_U-nmXyc

We fished the creek all day, my brother, my friend Jimmy and I. Having no luck at
all we decided to finish out the day playing and wading. One of our favorite
things to do was to see who could catch the biggest crayfish, better known to
us by the term ‘crawdad’.

Now these creatures have pinchers like miniature lobsters, and the bigger they
are, the harder they can pinch – frequently to the point of drawing blood –
which adds to the degree of difficulty and danger involved. They are elusive
and fast-movers, scooting under a rock when you reach for them. That’s when the
danger begins. You have to lift the rock with one hand, which stirs up the mud,
then reach blindly beneath for the crawdad with your free hand, hoping to catch
him behind those danged pinchers.

If we were going to continue fishing we would save then for bass bait in Mr. Clegg’s
pond, but this particular day we were throwing them back after bragging rights
were established.

Around the next bend in the creek we came upon an old black man with his overalls
rolled up past his knees, who was wading just like we were. He was also
catching crawdads, but he had a five-gallon bucket to put them in.

“Going fishin’?” one of us asked.

“Nope, but I gives y’all a penny apiece fer all you catches,” he said.

Of course we agreed, being the businessmen that we were. Five crawdads would get you
enough money for a candy bar or a Coke.

But the question had to be asked, “Whatcha gonna do with `em?”

He looked a bit surprised at the question but said, “Eatum.”

“You eat… crawdads?” my brother wanted to know with a look of horror on his face.

“You don’t?” was his reply.

Now we boys were not completely against the idea, but it took some getting used to.
This old man wasn’t talking about eating something on a dare, which we all had done;
he was talking about making a meal here.

“Do you… uhhh… cook them first?” Jimmy asked.

“Well sho we cooks `em first. Throw `em in a pot o’ boilin’ water fer a few minutes
till dey turn red, then eatum. Dey’s good vittles!”

It had never occurred to us in all our days of crawdad catching that these
creatures could be eaten except by the bass in Mr. Clegg’s pond – but we were
game to try anything once, especially if it was something to eat.

By sundown we had made fifty cents, and that was enough for a Coke and a candy bar
apiece at Mr. Chitwood’s store, with change left over.

The very next day we brought our bucketful of crawdads to my mother so she could
cook them for us.

She refused. She refused in that certain way that mothers do when you know there
isn’t going to be any further discussion on the subject. So now here we were
with a bucket of crawdads, too late to take them back to the creek and feeling
like murderers. Killing for food was something we country boys understood, but
letting something die without eating it was sinful.

Fortunately for us our once-a-week maid was there that day and said, “If Miz Ginny say hit’s
okay, I cooks `em fer ya. Show you how to eat `em too!”

Mom agreed, but wouldn’t even come into the kitchen until the cooking or the eating
was done.

We boys and our maid had a feast that night. Turned out that the old man we met at
the creek the day before was her husband, and she proved that she knew how to
cook them. She also showed us what she considered the best part, which turned
out to be the heads. You have to break the head off and suck the contents out.

It was many years later that I learned that crayfish are a Cajun delicacy, and in
great demand.

We now call them Creek Lobster.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:15 am

Phil; Great story and well written. Growing up poor and in a rural area the crawdad does make a delicious meal if prepared properly. We use to go out on the river in a John boat and grapple for turtles. A turtle will see you coming and duck under water and swim into the bank where they have a place wallered out. You reach your hand under the murky water and grab the turtle, pulling him into the boat. Snapping turtles can do severe damage if they get an oppurtunity to bite you. The trick is, if you grab a turtle and it gets away from you do not reach your hand in a second time. The turtle will turn and you could easily lose a finger. Snapping turtles are like pit bulls once they bite you they do not want to let go. Good eating these snapping turtles.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:30 pm

I could picture you in the creek and the kitchen, Brew, and that's always the sign of a good story.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:55 pm

You get a line and I'll get a pole, honey...

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:01 pm

I was doing fine until the sucking the contents out of the head part. I suppose it is a case of mind over matter to enjoy the taste.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:00 pm

I never learned to suck the heads, but I can make a mean etouffee from the tails.

Ann

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:26 pm

AW and Dick, coming from you two those words mean a lot to me. Thank you!

Lin, I always wondered why they used "crawdad hole" in that song if they were going fishing - unless they were after bait.

Abe and Ann, sucking the heads gave me a problem too at first, but the
taste makes it worthwhile. Now snails are another story... I don't care
how great they are or how Frenchy the word sounds. I won't, I ain't
gonna, so don't even try!

Oh, Ann, I usually don't eat anything I can't pronounce... what the heck is etouffee?

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:52 pm

For you, Brew:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVvRPxYe_Yk

_________________
Shelagh Watkins
http://shelaghwatkins.co.uk/

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:30 am

Quote:

Oh, Ann, I usually don't eat anything I can't pronounce... what the heck is etouffee?

Ay-too-fay is a crawfish stew, made with a dark roux and the creole/cajun "holy trinity" of onions, bell pepper, and celery - and a touch of garlic, served over rice and garnished with diced green onions.

Ann

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:33 am

Snails, sauteed in a garlic-butter sauce - yum.

Listen, guys, I lost 30 pounds in 2008. I don't want to gain it back in 2009. Stop ttempting me, please.

Ann

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:26 am

Ann, that Ay-too-fay sounds pretty close to the crawfish pie that was sung about along with Jambalaya and fillet gumbo. I could eat that!

As Justin Wilson would have said, "Ooowee, dat sho sound perdy!"

"Snails, sauteed in a garlic-butter sauce..."

Just give me the butter and garlic sauce. Would Vienna sausages make a reasonable substitute? Maybe even scallops...

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:05 pm

I think I'm going to be sick.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:28 pm

Justin Wilson - Hoo-boy! talk about memories!

I gar-on-tee! Phil, I'm so glad you come to see me! How you-all are?

Ann
aka Clotilde Crochet - de onliest female Cajun storyteller in Sout-east Texas ( a really, really long time ago.)

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:00 pm

What are you people talking about? Justin Wilson is an Indy car racing driver from Sheffield, England. The English know nothing about cooking or good food. On second thought, eating crawdads falls under the same heading.

Subject: Re: Creek Lobster Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:16 pm

Dick,

This Justin Wilson was a humorist and chef from southwest Louisiana. He had a cooking show on PBS for many years, and told funny stories about the Acadian (Cajun) culture on records and tapes.

The Acadians were so not British, but were French settlers in Nova Scotia, exiled by the British in the 1750's. Most of them resettled in Atchafalaya Basin area of Louisiana. Their cooking is a blend of French, African, and Native American. My childhood home in Orange, Texas was on the Sabine River, the boundary between Texas and that part of Louisiana.

We wa'nt no bleed Cajuns, but live so close on dat river we cotched it by osmosis.

Ann

(I couldn't find the proper flag in the emoticons. This one is from the internet: