Lobsters and crayfish are often sold live to
consumers. The prime season for Louisiana
crayfish is generally local winter through
spring, when the animals are heaviest and
firm-fleshed. The lobster body contains the
flavorful digestive gland known as the liver or
tomalley, a pale mass that turns green when
cooked. Females may also contain an ovary, a
mass containing thousands of 1–2 mm eggs,
which turns red-pink when cooked; hence its
name “coral.” Lobster liver and coral are
sometimes removed before cooking, and then
crushed to a paste and added to hot sauces at
the last minute to contribute their color and
flavor.
Crustacean innards. The cephalothorax of
crustaceans contains a large, flavorful
digestive gland, the hepatopancreas, whose