raw fish ▁bo il " ▁are ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁water ▁for ▁season ing . ▁The ▁results ▁are ▁then ▁dump ed ▁onto ▁large , ▁newspaper - d rap ed ▁tables ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁covered ▁in ▁Cre ole ▁sp ice ▁bl ends , ▁such ▁as ▁RE X , ▁Z atar ain ' s , ▁Louisiana ▁Fish ▁F ry ▁or ▁Tony ▁Ch ach ere ' s . ▁Also , ▁C ock tail ▁sau ce , ▁may onna ise ▁and ▁hot ▁sau ce ▁are ▁sometimes ▁used . ▁The ▁sea fo od ▁is ▁sc oop ed ▁onto ▁large ▁t ray s ▁or ▁pl ates ▁and ▁e aten ▁by ▁hand . ▁During ▁times ▁when ▁craw fish ▁are ▁not ▁abund ant , ▁sh rim p ▁and ▁c rab s ▁are ▁prepared ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner . ▁ ▁Att ende es ▁are ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁" su ck ▁the ▁head " ▁of ▁a ▁craw fish ▁by ▁separ ating ▁the ▁ab d omen ▁of ▁the ▁cr ust ace an ▁and ▁su ck ing ▁out ▁the ▁ab dom inal ▁fat / ju ices . ▁ ▁O ften , ▁new com ers ▁to ▁the ▁craw fish ▁bo il , ▁or ▁those ▁un famil iar ▁with ▁the ▁trad itions , ▁are ▁j ok ingly ▁war ned ▁" not ▁to ▁eat ▁the ▁dead ▁ones ". ▁This ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁common ▁belief ▁that ▁when ▁live ▁craw fish ▁are ▁bo iled , ▁their ▁t ails ▁curl ▁beneath ▁themselves , ▁but ▁when ▁dead ▁craw fish ▁are ▁bo iled , ▁their ▁t ails ▁are ▁straight ▁and ▁lim