Curtis Washington may spend his day job managing deliveries and orders for Margaritaville Lake Resort, but during crawfish season his Louisiana roots come out.
Washington cooks more than 200 pounds of crawfish each week for Margaritaville guests. He’ll do so Saturday and on April 26 but take a break Easter weekend. He’s cooking up the delicacy most weekends in April. In his daily duties, he’s the purchasing manager for the resort.
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Food equals love
He grew up in Shreveport, La., in a family of cooks whose food didn’t come from a recipe book.
“I come from a family of cooks,” Washington said. “My great-grandma worked in a little café in the 1940s, and my grandma was an incredible cook too. She baked, she fried, she grilled — all by sight and taste. We didn’t follow recipes, food had to look and taste right. And it wasn’t just cooking —she played piano the same way. She couldn’t read music, but she could play anything by ear.”
From fun bugs to a family legacy
Curiosity first introduced him to crawfish or mud bugs when as a child he’d play in the ditches where they thrived.
“We thought they were just little bugs,” he said. “We didn’t realize they were food. We’d catch them using chicken bones, just for fun.”
Crawfish boils became an essential part of his family gatherings, especially on Good Friday and Memorial Day weekend. His grandmother taught him the importance of cleaning them properly.
“We called it ‘mud water.’ You’ve got to purge them — rinse them in salt water three or four times so they spit out whatever’s in their system. That’s how you get a good, clean crawfish.” Nothing went to waste and leftover crawfish tails were peeled and repurposed into dishes like jambalaya or étouffée.
His crawfish philosophy
He’s had crawfish boils the past few years at the resort and he always goes back to the basics.
“Corn, potatoes, maybe a boiled egg or two. I’ve seen people put all kinds of things in — okra, pig feet, mushrooms — but I like to keep it classic,” he said.
Expect some kick to his crawfish as well. “If they aren’t going to be spicy, no point in starting up the fire,” he said.
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How to get some and other events
The crawfish boils are paired with the resort’s It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Concert Series on Saturdays.
Guests can order 5 pounds of crawfish and five beers for just $50 and claim their free concert ticket online. The concert series continues with Jacob Ryan Marshall on Saturday, the Texas Eagles Band April 26, Paige Lewis May 3, Bama Breeze Sounds May 10 and Escape Journey Tribute Band May 17.
Additionally, the Margaritaville Headliner Comedy Series will take place on Saturdays through May 17. The series is hosted by Billy D. Washington, a renowned comedian with a career spanning more than 30 years.
See the Margaritaville Lake Resort website for full amenities, booking information and events.
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