crawfish aka 'mud bugs'

Lousiana is known for these cajun critters, but since i've lived here in texas, i've learned that if texas likes something- it becomes theirs, too.

lot of folks hold crawfish parties- and i have up to this point avoided it all.

last tuesday, that ended.

this shooter that we call 'doc' because he's a chiropractor, came into Jeanie's office to say 'hi' and to invite me out to meet his famous cooking buddy.

i went and was invited to stay for the feast.

i say 'feast' because you should see how they serve this stuff:

that's right, in a styrofoam bucket- 5 inches deep and a foot across by 10 inches. heaping full of legs, shell, eyes, antennas...all of it! ...with a side of corn, some crackers and half a roll of paper towels.

.

so i took a lesson from doc. you take the mud bug in your hands, snap the tail off from the body, if you have a stomach of steel then you suck on the body and finally, you pull the meat from the tail. at this point you devein it- and put the inch or so of meat into a dip not unlike thousand island, pop it in your mouth- only to begin the process again.

.

ummm...

.

i don't have the strongest stomach. especially when i'm man handling eyeballs and guts with the same fingers i'm eating with- but i hung in there and ate about 10.

.

they are good- but to be truthful, i doubt i'll go looking for the experience again anytime soon!

.

doc has pancreatic disease. he's the happiest man- even when he's wearing a patch for pain meds! i enjoyed sitting there having this meal with him- and when he left he kissed my cheek and told me how he 'enjoyed' me. read nothing more into this! he is happily married and brags about his bride the way every woman would love to be. i imagine they've been married close to 35 years. doc is also a veteran, surviving several serious injuries.

.

in the end- it was my mud bug pleasure!