Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life by Melissa M. Martin

  • Carnival crawfish boil (page 27)

    from Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life Bayou by Melissa M. Martin

    • Categories: Stews & one-pot meals; Main course; Cooking for a crowd; Other holidays and feasts; Cajun & Creole
    • Ingredients: yellow onions; lemons; kosher salt; celery; garlic; hot sauce; crab and shrimp boil - liquid; paprika; ground cayenne pepper; white vinegar; bay leaves; crawfish
    • Accompaniments: How to boil potatoes and corn
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Soft-shell crawfish po-boys

    • Baxter850 on May 18, 2025

      Great sandwich although there’s a lot of batter, which masks a bit of the crawfish. Definitely use the mayo spec in this book!

  • Apex jambalaya

    • Ahstone on February 11, 2026

      I cooked this for a Mardi Gras party for the first time. It was a huge hit. I was a bit concerned while making it that it didn't have enough spices for a jambalaya--not to worry, the duck fat and the caramelized onions add plenty of flavor. Great tasting, wonderful texture. I'll make this again, many times I'm sure.

  • Cabbage slaw

    • Baxter850 on May 18, 2025

      Perfect. Just rich enough with a great bright flavor. Use the mayo recipe from the book!

  • Panfried soft-shell crab

    • Baxter850 on May 25, 2026

      Don’t be stingy with the cayenne. 1/4 tsp was not enough for us. Didn’t get crispy but the oil may not have been hot enough. Will try again.

  • Holiday dressing

    • Joffy on November 27, 2024

      the ratio of 5# of protein to 2 cups of cooked rice seems wild, but wow it works. I thought for sure i was going to have to double the rice. Definitely needs extra pepper

  • Hamburger steaks, caramelized onions, and gravy

    • Bessp on July 28, 2025

      This was underwhelming. The onions took about 2.5x as long to caramelize as the recipe stated, which is not unexpected. Ultimately, the gravy lacked depth despite all the caramelized onions and sherry, and the hamburgers were just fine. I won't be making this again. I served with a green salad, as the recipe recommends.

  • Mayonnaise

    • Baxter850 on May 18, 2025

      Delicious. Much more flavor (tang) than traditional mayo spec. Was great with the fried softshell crawfish

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  • ISBN 10 1648291406
  • ISBN 13 9781648291401
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Sep 24 2024
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 368
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Artisan

Publishers Text

Author of Mosquito Supper Club, James Beard Award Winner for Best Book: U.S. Foodways, IACP’s Book of the Year, and an NPR Best Book of the Year, Melissa Martin shares a year in the life of South Louisiana cooking and all the dishes that are eaten to celebrate life’s big and small moments.

People on the Louisiana bayou mark the seasons of the Cajun calendar with traditions, emotions, and gatherings around the table to feast. In this highly anticipated next book from the author of the James Beard Award-winning Mosquito Supper Club, Melissa Martin shares a year of celebrations, both big and small, through 100 traditional Southern Louisiana recipes that combine humble ingredients, such as onions, potatoes, and peppers, and the local bounty, including shrimp and crabs. Made-to-share recipes like Carnival Crawfish Boil and Etouffee ring in the New Year and kickstart the Carnival season, which is a time for abundance and decadence. Lent unfolds with simple, fresh foods like Cabbage Slaw and Fried Fish Collars. Summer ushers in the bright bounty of shrimp season. Families and friends band together in October for boucheries, feasting on Smoked Sausage and Deer Tamales, then gather with loved ones for hearty homey holiday dishes like Fried Turkey, Holiday Dressing, and Red Velvet Cake. With illuminating sidebars and stunning photography, Martin illustrates what Cajun people already know: the table is a place for restoration, nourishment, and, most importantly, communion.

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