Dappled sunlight falls through the trees as Karl Broussard drives down midtown Mobile’s historic North Monterey Street on a bright spring afternoon. In the bed of his truck, Broussard has everything he needs: a burner, a seafood cooker and, most importantly of all, live crawfish.
On the Gulf Coast, it’s hard to beat bringing friends and family together around a good old-fashioned crawfish boil in the springtime. Local seafood delivers freshness while Cajun seasonings excite the palate. Pair it with sweet corn on the cob and buttery potatoes, and guests will be clamoring for more. As Broussard prepares this afternoon’s boil at the home of Courtney and Henley Kelly, the tempting aromas entice the residents of North Monterey. Soon, the neighbors are gathered in the Kellys’ front yard, enjoying the perfect weather, good friends and wonderful food.
North Monterey Street is lined with historic houses and ancient live oaks, and its residents are always opening their homes to one another. When the Kellys moved to Mobile in 2019, they took up residence here, and they haven’t looked back. Even after outgrowing their first home, they simply moved a few houses down, where they now live with their two adorable sons — 4-year-old Tripp and 2-year-old Patton — and their beloved bulldog, Cash.
Courtney grew up across the Bay, and her husband is from Huntsville, so when careers brought them to Mobile, they did not initially realize how important their neighborhood would become to them. “We had no idea the goldmine we had just hit,” Courtney says, referring to North Monterey Street. “It is the most special neighborhood. We are always there for each other, and we’re always having parties like this. It’s the best. Truly, we have the best neighbors in Mobile.”
“I’ve built such a trust in the people in this neighborhood and on the street,” Henley, who works for Airbus, agrees. In fact, North Monterey Street and their neighbors have become so important to the Kellys, they don’t intend to raise their family anywhere else. “I want to stay around them, because I know they’re going to have such a positive influence on the kids,” Henley explains. “So that’s why we stayed. We love it.”
Broussard, local manager of MobTown Boils and Catering, could not be more excited to provide crawfish boils and more for the Bay area. Born and raised in Meaux, Louisiana — a little town near Lafayette — and now a decades-long resident of Mobile himself, Broussard is no stranger to crawfish. “My first experience with crawfish was when they cut my umbilical cord. You’re born with it. You leave the hospital and they give you a crawfish paddle and a roux spoon,” he jokes. In all seriousness, Broussard was raised on Cajun flavors, and he has always been passionate about entertaining and cooking. He is the twice-crowned winner of the American Cancer Society’s Chili Cook Off, and he teases that his wife, Sharee, would auction him off at charity events, arranging for her husband to throw a crawfish boil for the highest bidder.
A successful boil is all about the experience. Cajun music and decor help to create a fun, relaxed environment, and a cold beer or a refreshing cocktail doesn’t hurt, either. MobTown Boils helps provide an authentic “Cajun occasion” through their food as well as music, decorations and the boils themselves, which are presented in a serving dish shaped like a pirogue, a Cajun fishing boat. The added touch is a fun, authentic detail as well as a conversation starter.
On this beautiful afternoon, Broussard brings a Cajun occasion to the Kellys’ front yard. Talk and laughter fill the air while neighbors sip Panaché cocktails — light beer, like a lager or Pilsner, mixed with lemonade. The children play, and everyone enjoys crawfish, potatoes, corn on the cob, mushrooms, sausage and roasted garlic provided by MobTown Boils with sides of flavorful muffuletta dip and refreshing coleslaw provided by the hosts. Even Cash joins the festivities, and he is delighted when he gets treated to a few bites of sausage.
Good company, excellent food and a memorable experience. That’s what Jeremy Schreiber, founder of Nola Boils & Catering, hopes to deliver by introducing Mobilians to this new branch of his catering company, managed by Broussard. A graduate of Tulane University, Schreiber began his career in event planning. Then, in 2012, he developed Nola Boils, an upscale catering company offering seafood boils, carving stations and more. “You book it; we cook it,” Schreiber proclaims. His goal is to allow the hosts to enjoy the event as much as the guests.
Although Schreiber is from New Orleans, his daughter is a student at Spring Hill College, so he has fallen in love with Mobile, citing the similarities between the two cities’ food and culture. Now, he frequently takes the train back and forth, so it was a natural next step for him to bring his catering services to the Port City, where he connected with Broussard. After more than 30 years in the medical field, Broussard says that this career shift was perfect for him. “Jeremy was looking for a local manager, and I said, ‘I’m your guy,’” Broussard says. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. I’m getting to do what I was meant to do and what I love doing. It’s not going to be a job.”
Through his passion for event planning and catering, Schreiber captures the spirit of Southern hospitality: “We just have the best cooking. Crawfish brings people together. It’s intimate, and people are next to each other, having fun teaching others how to peel them, suck the heads, pinch the tails — people just love it.” For those who might not be interested in peeling crawfish, Shreiber recommends including another flavorful offering such as jambalaya or gumbo so guests can still enjoy delicious seafood without getting their hands dirty.
There’s an intangible quality to Southern gatherings at home that can’t be found anywhere else. Maybe it’s the food, the people, the homes, the atmosphere, the history, the culture or all those things. Whatever it is, it makes Southern hospitality unique and special. “People around here are proud of their homes, and they work really hard to keep their houses pretty, so hosting is an opportunity for them to enjoy all that hard work. I think it’s a trust thing,” Henley observes. “That’s very trusting, to invite people into your house. In the South, that’s how we show love; that’s how we show friendship.”
Crawfish boils are the epitome of a Southern event: an opportunity for friends and family to open their homes to one another and relax while enjoying good food and good company, no matter how large or small the crowd. Most importantly, they are an authentic, truly Southern experience. When provided by MobTown Boils and people like Broussard — someone local with a passion for Southern food, community and culture — the experience of having friends and family over for a crawfish boil can’t be beat. Just don’t forget to pinch the tail!
Tips for the Perfect Crawfish Boil
1. For maximum freshness and flavor, cook live crawfish immediately. However, with proper care, live crawfish may be stored for 1 – 3 days in a cool, damp place out of direct sunlight. To store, keep the crawfish in their bags in a cooler with ice. Make sure your cooler has a drain plug so water can drain as the ice melts. Do not submerge the crawfish or let them sit in melted ice water. Ideally, place the ice on top and let it melt through the sacks to keep the crawfish cool and damp. You may also store crawfish in a refrigerator between 38 – 42 degrees.
2. Clean crawfish prior to cooking. Empty crawfish into a large container and submerge them in water. Move them around and remove debris or any crawfish that have not survived. Drain. Repeat the rinse process two or three times until the water is clear and only live crawfish remain.
3. To boil crawfish, make sure the water is heavily seasoned with crawfish boil seasoning, liquid concentrate, citrus and aromatics. One pound of seasoning for every 10 pounds of crawfish is typically recommended.
4. After boiling, remove from heat, add ice directly into the water to stop the cooking and then allow the crawfish to soak so they will absorb more flavor. The longer they soak, the spicier they will be.
3 Crawfish Boil Pairing Recipes
Muffuletta Dip
Muffuletta dip continues the flavors of the Big Easy in your appetizer spread.
SERVES 8
Ingredients
1 loaf of French bread
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup Italian olive salad, drained
1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1 8-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
1/4 cup pepperoncini peppers, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Genoa salami (about 2 ounces), diced
1/2 cup Italian salami (about 2 ounces), diced
4 ounces Provolone cheese, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice French bread into rounds and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into a small bowl. Dip a pastry brush or small spoon into the olive oil and brush both sides of the bread rounds until lightly coated. Bake for 8 – 15 minutes, flipping the rounds once halfway through baking, until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely. If not serving right away, store rounds in an airtight container until use.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil with all remaining ingredients except parsley in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine. Cover and chill for at least 1 but up to 24 hours.
3. If the mixture looks dry, add a little more olive oil and toss before garnishing with fresh parsley and serving alongside the prepared bread rounds.
Coleslaw
Colesaw is crunchy, cool and refreshing, the perfect complement to a hot seafood boil.
SERVES 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Black pepper to taste
1 16-ounce bag coleslaw mix
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except colesalw mix and whisk until combined.
2. Pour the coleslaw mix over the dressing and toss with a wooden spoon or tongs until coated.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to three hours until serving.
Panaché Cocktail
Crawfish can be spicy, so offering guests a drink that will quench their thirst without making them tipsy is a must. The light, refreshing Panaché is a perfect choice.
Serves 1
Ingredients
6 ounces light beer (lager or Pilsner), chilled
6 ounces lemonade, chilled
1 lemon, sliced
Directions
In a pint glass, combine one part light beer with one part lemonade. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.
