You just can't make your own boiled shrimp, crabs, and/or crawfish as well as
the folks that catch 'em. They go out on boats and catch the fresh shellfish
(or purchase them from local fishermen). That day, or the next, they boil them
up in large vats of seasoned water (which, given the fact that they are boiling
hundreds of pounds at a time, turns into a big vat of shellfish stock).
Seasonings include onions, celery, half heads of garlic (cut cross-wise), crab
boil (a special mixture that's local, usually Zatarain's), lemon halves, and
(if you want 'em) corn and potatoes. They let them soak and cool (so they brine
up with even more flavor), then pack them on ice or with gel packs, and ship
them directly to your door (in most cases, or at least for airport pickup).
I used to get my boiled seafood (along with things like oysters, crabs, alligator, turtle, and other critters) from an operation called New Orleans Overnight, the brainchild of Chef Donald Barkemeyer. Unfortunately, he's no longer in business. Instead, I'm including a number of potential suppliers below who will ship seafood directly. However, be sure to check shipping costs, as these are sometimes included in the per lb prices, and sometimes they are not. Unfortunately, I've not settled on a single supplier who stands heads above the rest and I don't necessarily vouch for any of the suppliers below.
Even with shipping added, I think you'll find the cost quite reasonable,
considering the expense of also cooking them yourself. And, with rare
exception, most seafood up here has been treated with a chemical that allows
it to sit in the display case for far longer than any Cajun would tolerate.
Such treatments also give the seafood a sulfur-like flavor and a rubbery
texture. In my opinion, that's just not acceptable at my Mardi Gras party.
So I leave the shrimp, crabs, and crawfish to the experts!
If you are interested in having Louisiana seafood shipped up, here are some
suppliers:
Crawfish Company of Central Florida, Inc
Sal Junda - General Manager
New Orleans Seafood Division
1100 24th Street
Kenner, Louisiana 70062
Phone:(504) 838-4889
Email: sales@crawfishcoofcentralflainc.com
Web: http://www.crawfishcoofcentralflainc.com
Louisiana Crawfish Company
140 Russell Cemetery Road
Nachitoches, LA 71457
Phone: (318) 379-0539 (local); (888) 522-7292 (toll-free)
Email: jd@lacrawfish.com or info@lacrawfish.com
Web: http://www.lacrawfish.com
CajunBrands.com LLC
2209 Belle Ruelle St
New Iberia, LA 70563
Phone: (337) 247-3185
Fax: (337) 367-1197
Email: ProductInfo@CajunBrands.com or ProductSales@CajunBrands.com
Web: http://cajunbrands.com
Kyle LeBlanc Crawfish Farms
302 St Peter St
Raceland LA, 70394
Phone: (985) 226-6444
Fax: (985) 537-4658 BR> Email: kyle@crawdads.net
Web: http://www.crawdads.net/
Tony's Seafood Market
5215 Plank Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
PHONE ORDERS PREFERRED
Phone: (225) 357-9669 (local); (800) 356-2905 (toll-free)
Email: shipping@tonyseafood.com
Web: http://www.tonyseafood.com
A Gourmet Cajun Shop, LLC
18592 Perkins Road
Prarieville, LA 70769
Phone: (866) 813-6816 (toll-free)
Fax: (225) 313-6303
Email: bigeasy@cajun-shop.com
Web: http://www.cajun-shop.com
Pura Vida Farms
24790 IH-10
Hamshire, TX
Phone: (409) 296-3005
Email: puravidafarms@gmail.com
Web: http://puravidafarms.com/
Note: May only have live crawfish to ship. Call and ask about boiled.
Enjoy your feast!