Here are 10 ways to celebrate Mardi Gras at home

Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt

Have a seafood boil

The annual Mardi Gras festivities typically overlap with the start of crawfish season in the South. During a typical year, celebrants host crawfish boils along parade routes and in backyards – just about anywhere Mardi Gras is celebrated.

To host your own boil, you’ll first need to source some seafood. Small businesses like Kenney Seafood on Louisiana’s Northshore, Acadia Crawfish in Crowley or Billy’s Seafood Market near Gulf Shores, Alabama will ship live or pre-boiled crawfish throughout the United States. You can also swap out the crawfish for shrimp, crab legs or lobster tails.

To give your boil the traditional taste of the Gulf Coast, be sure to season generously with Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil Seasoning. The company has been seasoning seafood boils in New Orleans since 1889.

Not sure how to eat a crawfish? Check out this quick video tutorial from Visit Jefferson Parish.

How to boil crawfish

1. Place the crawfish in a large cooler with a drain and rinse thoroughly for about five minutes until the water runs clean.

2. Fill a large cooking pot about halfway with water and season generously with crawfish boil seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil.

3. Move the crawfish into a cooking basket and lower into the pot. Add in some halved lemons, corn on the cob and red potatoes. Return to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the crawfish to soak for another 20 minutes.

4. Dump the crawfish and other add-ins onto a newspaper-covered table and dig in.

Article source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/643919516/0/usatodaycomtravel-topstories~Here-are-ways-to-celebrate-Mardi-Gras-at-home/