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Message
How Cajun Deep Fried Turkey Took Over America
Posted on 11/26/14 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 11/26/14 at 2:47 pm
quote:
The innovation of deep frying whole turkeys in hot lard would never have come about without butane gas-fire cookers. Back in the 1940s, butane (and, to a lesser degree, propane) were used to fuel camp stoves and recreational vehicle ranges, which at the time were commonly called "house trailers."
Down in Louisiana, some enterprising Cajuns figured that those same fuels could be adapted to cook one of their favorite local delicacies: boiled crawfish. Around 1970, portable butane cookers started being advertised widely in the state's newspapers as "portable crawfish cookers" or "crawfish boiler rigs." These rigs consisted of a gas burner mounted in a large metal stand sturdy enough to hold a giant aluminum cooking pot, and they were fueled by a hose connected to a portable butane tank.
Serious Eats
3
Posted on 11/26/14 at 5:35 pm to Stadium Rat
I'd heard pieces of the stories before, but never all wrapped up in one article.
Good read, Rat.
Good read, Rat.
Posted on 11/26/14 at 5:54 pm to Stadium Rat
Pic damn near makes me want to fry a few. It's been years.
Posted on 11/26/14 at 6:20 pm to OTIS2
Back in the late 60s early 70s, before propane rigs became widely available, my dad took a burner off an old hot water heater and tapped into our house's gas line. It worked, but it wasn't ideal because it took a while to get the pot boiling again after adding the bugs.
Back then, NOBODY in Metairie was boiling their own crawfish. Most of my friends had never even had them. I don't even think you could buy them at the seafood market til a few years later. We'd go to the spillway and catch 'em ourselves. By 1976, my senior year of HS, crawfish was the new fad for everyone and we had a propane burner.
Back then, NOBODY in Metairie was boiling their own crawfish. Most of my friends had never even had them. I don't even think you could buy them at the seafood market til a few years later. We'd go to the spillway and catch 'em ourselves. By 1976, my senior year of HS, crawfish was the new fad for everyone and we had a propane burner.
This post was edited on 11/26/14 at 6:31 pm
Posted on 11/26/14 at 6:48 pm to Stadium Rat
Good stuff, Rat. 
Posted on 11/26/14 at 7:39 pm to John McClane
I remember I clipped an article from the paper in the late 70s when I was at LSU that detailed several experts methods of cooking crawfish. One of the experts is Pat Huval of Pat's Fisherman's Wharf in Henderson.
Sorry for the lousy quality, but these images are more than 25 yrs old.
Sorry for the lousy quality, but these images are more than 25 yrs old.
This post was edited on 11/26/14 at 8:30 pm
Posted on 11/26/14 at 9:12 pm to Stadium Rat
When I was a kid (im 37 now) I dont remember being able to buy a burner. My Pawpaw made one and if we wanted boiled crabs we went to his house. He made his with a flange gasket ring, for the jet he used a grease zert and removed the BB. We fidnt have our own burner till I was 10-12 years old.
Posted on 11/26/14 at 9:17 pm to Stadium Rat
We were beginning to boil 'em in central Ms in '80-'81 due to the influences picked up by the offshore workers from our county. I was boiling in Starkvegas by '83-'84.
Posted on 11/26/14 at 9:28 pm to OTIS2
I remember my mom and dad taking me along for Sunday drives down to the Rainbow Inn in Pierre Part for crawfish. Dad passed in 1975, so this had to be quire early in the "era".
Posted on 11/27/14 at 1:00 am to Stadium Rat
quote:
Back in the late 60s early 70s, before propane rigs became widely available, my dad took a burner off an old hot water heater and tapped into our house's gas line. It worked, but it wasn't ideal because it took a while to get the pot boiling again after adding the bugs.
Back then, NOBODY in Metairie was boiling their own crawfish. Most of my friends had never even had them. I don't even think you could buy them at the seafood market til a few years later. We'd go to the spillway and catch 'em ourselves. By 1976, my senior year of HS, crawfish was the new fad for everyone and we had a propane burner.
This is very interesting. I wonder if there is any good books about all the local dishes history.
Posted on 11/27/14 at 5:57 am to Stadium Rat
Lawd have mercy. Sprinkling , layering, steaming, no soaking, purging, pre cooked taters. It's quite obvious those old cats didn't read TD.com.
Posted on 11/27/14 at 7:11 am to LSUballs
Thank goodness mankind has evolved from such barbaric ways when it comes to preparing mud bugs...
This post was edited on 11/27/14 at 7:12 am
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