2013 Arizona Crawfish Festival: Officially, the OFFICIAL DAY---come hurricanes and high water!

Our sincere apologies for changing the date of this year's Crawfish Festival on y'all twice already. But third time is the charm come hurricanes and high water...which we don't expect at 6,500 feet above sea level in Overgaard, Arizona. Mark in your calendar one last time and come pass some good ole' fashion Cajun BON TEMPS with the whole family in the cool Arizona Mountains on August 10th, 2013!

Lend a hand getting the Arizona crawfish population reduced by forming a trapping team: just send us an email at arizonacrawfishco@gmail.com and we'll send you the entry form - no cover charge for trappers and cash prize for the winning team!!

Baked Possum

Folks in the south don't mess around! If it swings, slithers, crawls, walks, runs or flies it can be fixed up for supper! What is the most exotic (AKA unusual or otherwise in modern day discarded as proper food) animal you have eaten? Here is a simple recipe for possum if you ever have the mind to try one...

Baked Possum

  

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

1 possum

2 quarts water

2 tablespoons salt

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Put possum in a pot with water, salt, garlic and onion. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove possum from pot, cut up and sprinkle with black pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake in oven at 350 degreed until slightly browned.

Source: Camouflage Cuisine Cookbook

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Honey Pecan Fried Chicken

They say you can't judge a book by it's cover...I hope that ain't true for recipe titles because this one have my taste buds savoring! 

Honey Pecan Fried Chicken

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1 medium fryer, cut into frying parts

1 pint of milk

2 eggs

1 cup of honey

3 ounces of pecan pieces

flour

salt & pepper

Directions:

Salt and pepper the fryer parts to taste. Whip the mil and eggs together. Dip the chicken into the milk-egg wash and then flour it well. Deep fry the chicken until it is golden brown. Mix 1 cup of honey and the pecan pices together. When the chicken is done, pour the honey-pecan mixture over it just before serving. Serve Hot.

Source:

The La Meilleure cook book by Jude Theriot credits this recipe to:

Chef Henry Tate of The Normant Room at The Chateau Motor Hotel.

Shreveport, Louisiana

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Oyster and Artichoke Bisque by John D Folse

Anything with artichoke or oysters I'm already a sucker for...but together in a bisque? BRILLIANT!!

Oyster & Artichoke Bisque

Serving Size: 12

Ingredients:

6 dozen shucked oyster

1 quart oyster liquid

8 artichoke bottoms, sliced and uncooked

1 cup butter

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped bell peppers

¼ cup diced garlic

1 cup flour

1½ quarts chicken stock

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 cup sliced green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

salt & white pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 2-gallon stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic and artichoke bottoms. Sauté 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are wilted and artichokes are tender. Place vegetable mixture into a food processor. Process on high speed approximately 1 minute or until mixture is pureed. Return to stockpot and bring back to a simmer. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until white roux is achieved. Add chicken stock and oyster liquid, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Stir in heavy whipping cream, oysters, green onions and parsley. Return to a boil and cook until edges of oysters begin to curl. Season to taste using salt and white pepper. NOTE: It is absolutely necessary to use oyster liquid in this recipe. Give your seafood supplier ample time to reserve 1 quart.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine by Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC

www.jfolse.com/encyclopedia

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Time to start trapping em' up!

San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff Az.

Arizona has had the most beautiful spring we can remember for at least the last twenty years. In fact, I'm sitting in Flagstaff, Arizona with a light jacket on gazing at the still snow-capped San Fransisco Peaks as I type this. I'm sure one day when we are old men sipping morning coffee in the cafe with the other local old-timers talking about life, and of course the weather, this spring will be the topic of more than one conversation.

But those days will have to wait because today these two Cajun Cowboys are still young and full of 'piss and vinegar' as granddaddy put it, and it's time to pull up the waders and get to crawfish trapping. With the water in the rim lakes finally starting to warm up, the crawfish will be coming out of hibernation making it prime time for crawfish trapping and where y'all are likely to run into yours truly!

With the exception of the Colorado River about 25 miles upstream from Lake Mead (and we'll go out on a limb and say you wouldn't trap anything all the way upstream to Lee's Fairy) we have yet to find a river, lake or stream in Arizona without crawfish in it. With the States' variety of beautiful scenery it's impossible to find a place you won't like or have to trap at the same place so much that you won't loose a sense of adventure.

Crawfish Trapping Kit

If you are a first time trapper or new to Arizona, some of our favorite locations include Woods Canyon Lake, Willow Springs Lake, Big Lake and Lake Mary. For traps, tags and professional bait that won't leave your hands full of raw chicken (and cost a lot less) visit our online store and order now so you don't miss a single prime time day Arizona Crawfish Trapping...don't forget your Arizona fishing license!

Arizona Crawfish Company
www.ArizonaCrawfishCompany.com

2011 Great Cajun Crawfish Boil

10 hours of boiling pots and 2000 pounds of crawfish later we sure passed a bon temps with all y'all that came out to the annual Great Cajun Crawfish Boil on April 29th. If you were not able to attend but wanted to know what it was like, you're in luck! Destination Arizona was onsite with cameras and made a great video you can now see on YouTube.

See y'all at the 2012 Great Cajun Crawfish Boil!!

Arizona Crawfish Company
www.ArizonaCrawfishCompany.com

Cooking with a Legend: Crawfish Celery Dip - a fast and easy crawsfish appetizer.

Cooking with family and friends has always been a part of Cajun culture and tradition. It's not uncommon to spend and entire day slow cooking a cochon de lait or stirring the roux for a big pot of gumbo just in time for the farmers as they come off the fields at sun down. No matter the hard times they may be going through be it drought, poor crops, slow economy, more mouths the feed than slices of andouille sausage in the jambalaya, oil spills, or anything in between, when the Cajun's get together there will be bon food and bon temps!

This is no exception in our families and around the kitchen of Baby Kay the stories are endless, the drinks are full, memories are created and the meals are legendary. In spite the entire families effort to write down or recreate her recipes, all attempts have failed. Not because Baby Kay (or Mama Kay as her family calls her) is concealing her recipes or cooking secrets, in fact she goes out of her way to help teach the curious minds and watchful eyes lined around her butcher block island. The reason efforts have fallen short is because Mama Kay doesn't follow recipes and never cooks the same thing exactly as she did the last time. But without fail, all her creations are nothing short of perfection.

So, what better way to prepare three frozen pounds of crawfish tales remaining from July 4th's trapping adventure than bringing them over to Mama Kay's to fix up? I couldn't think of one either... Following is one of her favorite "fast & easy" dishes perfect for unexpected guests that happen by or when you need a little filler while waiting on the gumbo to cook down.

Crawfish Celery Dip:

With at least one pound of crawfish tales in a mixing bowl include the following ingredients chopped to preferred size and mixed to taste. After chilling, serve with your choice of assorted crackers...don't expect leftovers.

• Celery stalks
• Parsley
• Green Onions
• Mayo
• Tony Chachere's Seasoning
• Tabasco

This dish also goes great over salad and prefect for hot summer afternoons.

Hope y'all enjoy this Lagniappe creation of Mama Kay's. If you fix it up in your own kitchen drop us line and let us know how it turned out. Bon Appetite!

Y'all come back now ya' hear!?

The Arizona Crawfish Company Family
www.ArizonaCrawfishCompany.com