Mardi Gras parades are upon us, and people who like to plan their crawfish boils around the parade calendar are looking for alternates this year, thanks to last summer's drought and recent ice-cold weather that has ruined the crawfish season so far.
A crawfish boil features a lot more than just crawfish, so why not get that boiling rig out, anyway?
"Let's just load it up with potatoes and corn and sausage and mushrooms and artichokes an boil that," suggests Chef Kevin Belton.
So what else can go in the pot if we don't have crawfish? Shrimp and crab are old standbyes, but you can also think outside the box.
"Why not throw in some chicken thighs or some chicken breasts?" suggests Chef Kev. "Then we can put those on sandwiches...hit'em on the grill just to get some grill marks on them, cut them up and make some chicken salad out of them."
Chef Kev says those big pots can also make gallons and gallons of gumbo for big crowds, too.
"You know, break out that big pot and use it for jambalaya<" the chef said, "or get 20 pounds of red beans and put on 20 pounds of red beans."
Just don't forget the rice!
