Ready for a crab boil

Summertime is peak season for succulent blue crabs from Louisiana’s coastal waters and estuaries, and a backyard crab boil is one of the best ways to enjoy this local crustacean. Gather some friends and cold beer and spend the afternoon in pursuit of sweet crabmeat. On the off chance you have leftovers, incorporate them into elegant crab au gratin, seafood crepes or crab Louie.

Here’s what you need to get your crab boil under way:

Unless you concoct your own spice blend, turn to Louisiana Fish Fry Products, a homegrown company, for your seafood boil. Sold as a powder or liquid or in packets of “seed boil,” this product takes the guesswork out of flavoring your boiling liquid to the proper level. louisianafishfry.com

Some Louisiana crab lovers believe an everyday dinner knife is the only tool you need to get into a crab. They use the blade end to pry up the crab’s top shell and the handle end to bang on the hard claws like a hammer. Others prefer seafood crackers, a foolproof way of reaching the crab’s yummy bounty. Goodwood Hardware’s new kitchen wing has some easy-to-use festive red seafood crackers, along with plenty of other crab tchotchkes, from small shell-shaped plates that are great for drawn butter or cocktail sauce to crabby potholders that protect the head boiler’s hands in style. goodwoodhardware.com

Sure, you can pile your steaming boiled crabs atop a newspaper-covered table, but if you prefer something more colorful and decorative, there are plenty of options at Pierre Crawdeaux. Their collection of trays is part of a larger set of Louisiana seafood-themed dinnerware. Arrange the trays of piping-hot crabs and invite your guests to start cracking. pierregifts.com

Crabs shouldn’t be the only item in the pot. Fresh vegetables, sausage and other ingredients are popular items to incorporate. They add texture and flavor and round out the meal. Pick up fresh potatoes, corn, onions, garlic, artichokes and other summer veggies from the Red Stick Farmers Market to make the meal that much tastier and more local. And don’t forget the country butter from the market for melting and a crusty baguette for sopping. redstickfarmersmarket.org