Boiled Turkey Necks

This story is shared by Dawn:

When I bought my first house, my next-door neighbors were a black couple who were about the same age as my parents. When Hurricane Gustav hit in 2008, they had about 20 members of their extended family as evacuees before the storm staying at their house. In true Louisiana fashion, the only real answer to hurricanes is a party. When I accepted the invitation to come over, I never expected a crawfish boil rig (more on that later), multiple BBQ pits, and every inch of kitchen counter covered with various southern dishes - cornbread, red beans, white beans, collard greens, black-eyed peas, etc.

Gathered around the boiling rig, I was asked if I had ever had "turkey necks and pig foots." No, Terry, I have not. They had seasoned the water almost identically to a crawfish boil, complete with the veggies, and that's how the necks and feet were cooked. Pig feet were not my bag, as they were a little hard to eat with all the little bones and the gelatinous texture was a bit much. But the turkey necks were incredible! The flavor was more intense than any other turkey meat, and the crawfish boil seasoning was unexpected. You had to have a little skill to eat around some bones, but the effort was worth it! And the friends I made of my neighbors thereafter made it even better for the next four years that I lived there.