Belmont Stakes: Best Get Boilin’ Ya’ll

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Even though the Belmont Stakes is a NY based race, there is something about horse racing that evokes an affinity for all things southern. And even if you’re not into horse racing, you can no doubt get excited by chilled cocktails and pots boiling away on the stove, preparing home cooked fare from the deep south.

Last night I went roof hopping from mine to my neighbor’s {this didn’t involve any James Bond leaps} for my first ever Low Country Boil Bash. For those of you, like myself, who don’t know what Low Country Boil is, let me paint you a picture. First, you start with what could only be created in the south, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka {flown in from South Carolina}. Mixed with lemonade, this stuff tastes exactly like the sweet tea you would expect to find at a southern picnic, but is actually hard liquor. Of course you only realize that after you quench your thirst with a few innocently big gulps on a hot summer’s evening. Good thing there were trays and trays of ‘boil’ to soften the blow.

Crawfish, Crawfish and more Crawfish

So what makes up a Low Country Boil? 6 pounds of fresh Louisiana crawfish were flown up for the evening, steamed to bright red perfection and served with a heap of fresh corn, red skinned potatoes, shrimp and andouille sausage, all of which was boiled together with onions, garlic, old bay seasoning, salt, pepper, butter and lemon halves.  Yes ma’am! And it wouldn’t be a southern meal without a little cornbread or bacon, so why not serve that with bacon-cornbread muffins! The newspaper was spread, napkins were stacked and we all gathered round to dig in and start pulling the tails off the crawfish. This might seem intimidating if you have never done this before, but if you think of it like a mini lobster, you realize it’s not only easy, but fun, and the reward is a sweet meat that is worth the effort. For those who consider themselves adventurous {me} you can suck the head to get to what most southerners claim is the best part {not me}. I wasn’t able to stay for dessert, but I was eyeing the homemade peach cobbler and red velvet cupcakes that topped off a lovely nod to southern cuisine. We should all learn a thing or two from southern hospitality and invite more of our city neighbors to hop roofs or walk down the hall for a friendly gathering, because I have to say, that was one memorable NYC meal. Thanks friends!

Low Country Boil Takes On NYC