WSVN — Here in South Florida we know shrimp, lobster and boy, do we love our stone crabs, but how about some crawdads?Every Tuesday night get a taste of the bayou during 'Crawdaddy Tuesday' at The Federal Restaurant near Midtown Miami. Cesar Zapata-Executive Chef, The Federal: "I grew up in Houston, Texas so a lot of times I used to drive to the bayou, and that's where my first experience came with crawfish. And when I came to Miami that's what I really missed, so I'm like why not do a crawfish boil?"Flown in fresh each week straight from Louisiana. Chef Cesar Zapata has big plans for these little creatures. Cesar Zapata-Executive Chef, The Federal: "We're going to do the traditional crawfish boil with red potatoes, andouille sausage, corn, secret spices."Olee Fowler-Craving crawfish: "I'll basically be here every Tuesday night. I call them crawdaddys, I've gone to many crawfish boils, I'm from the south, and it's season for them."Expect other Creole creations like grits with crawfish gravy and crawfish frittersAniece Meinhold-General Manager, The Federal: "It's a crawfish fritter that we do with a bechamel base that we scent with saffron. We put a whole lot of crawfish tails in. It's creamy and it's savory. These get served with charred corn aioli for dipping."Aileen Quintana: "Everything is so good. Definitely the fritters, the creamy texture. I'm Latin so it reminds of the croquettes."And of course you gotta have something to wash it all down. Aniece Meinhold-General Manager, The Federal: "We're offering bottomless beer and bottomless bubbles. My choice would be beer. We're going to feature a beautiful fruity Cava from Spain. And then we're going to do a classic golden lager from Rhode Island. And bottomless is $20 a person."So that leaves the big question for us Floridians, how do you properly eat a crawfish?Aniece Meinhold-General Manager, The Federal: "The first school of thought is you only eat the tail. That's for people who like shrimp, lobster, crab. The second school of thought, which makes me really happy, is sucking on the head. First you pick up the bug, hold it on both ends, and you twist the body, in there is all kinds of good stuff. That's my favorite part."Olee Fowler: "I do know the proper way to eat crawfish, you pull off the head, you suck the head, and then you peel the meat off the tail."Andres Santiago-First time eating crawfish: "It was my first time and it was amazing. I liked the tail more than the head, I'm not a head person."Heads or tails this creole deal is only fresh through June.Don't worry, if you're not adventurous, the federal is offering their regular menu, as well.FOR MORE INFORMATION: The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions 5132 Biscayne Blvd.Miami, FL 33137
Crawdaddy Tuesday
