Chef Melissa Donahue, co-owner of Sweet Melissa’s in Fort Myers and Island Pizza on Sanibel, says a backyard crawfish boil is her favorite way to entertain family and friends during the summer.
Brian Tietz
One of Southwest Florida’s most beloved chefs shares her recipe for a New Orleans-style crawfish boil that’s perfect for summer entertaining.
Melissa Donahue
Chef and co-owner
Sweet Melissa’s, Fort Myers
Island Pizza, Sanibel
For Chef Melissa Donahue, nothing says summer like a backyard crawfish boil for family and friends.
After a busy season at Sweet Melissa’s, Donahue’s 120-seat restaurant on Summerlin Avenue in Fort Myers, summer offers a bit more of an opportunity to cook and entertain at home — something she doesn’t have time for in the hectic months from November through April.
“In season, forget about it,” Donahue says with a laugh. “It’s more like all of our down time is, you know, sleeping.”
Her husband and business partner, Tom Juneau, has two kids ages 10 and 13, and Donahue said they try to schedule family dinners on Mondays, their only day off.
Donahue’s Sweet Melissa’s Cafe had a legendary 14-year run on Sanibel, facing challenges including Hurricane Irma, the COVID-19 pandemic and, finally, Hurricane Ian. When the restaurant closed after Ian, Donahue and her team served an abbreviated menu at Island Pizza Company on Sanibel, which she also owns, before moving Sweet Melissa’s to Fort Myers in 2025.
Donahue, who became enamored with Gulf Coast cuisine while working at the famed Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, has seen her reputation grow well beyond Southwest Florida. She was nominated in 2019 for a James Beard Award and appeared on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay,” in an episode that was taped on the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ian.
Chef Melissa Donahue’s family gathers at the table to enjoy her crawfish and shrimp boil. Dumping the feast directly onto the table is part of the traditional experience.
Brian Tietz
She said the restaurant’s move to Fort Myers did not bring many changes to the beloved Sweet Melissa’s menu: Her famous fish stew remains a fixture, along with other longtime favorites including her house-made cornbread. The staff of 12 includes her husband, who serves as executive sous chef.
“Other than it being a bigger restaurant, we haven’t really made any changes,” she says. “We definitely are trying to stay true to who we were.”
On those occasions where she and Juneau host family or friends at home, she said a crawfish boil reminds her of her time in New Orleans and reflects her husband’s Louisiana roots. She added that it has become their “go-to thing” for entertaining by their pool, because it’s simple to assemble and entertaining for guests to watch as it comes together.
“It’s just a very easy, fun thing to do when you’re hanging out by the pool,” Donahue says.
Fresh crawfish await the boil in Chef Melissa Donahue’s backyard cooking setup. The shellfish are a key ingredient in her Louisiana-style recipe that serves a crowd.
Brian Tietz
Chef Melissa’s Crawfish and Shrimp Boil with Remoulade
Serves: 10
Difficulty: Easy
Prep & cook time: 45 minutes
IngredientsFor the crawfish boil
4 cups blackening seasoning
4 lemons, cut in halves
5 pounds andouille sausage
3 pounds red bliss potatoes, cut in fourths
8 ears corn, cut in thirds
1 bunch celery, cut into finger-length pieces
15 pounds fresh crawfish
10 pounds Gulf shrimp
Gulf shrimp are added to the boil alongside crawfish, sausage and vegetables. The combination reflects Chef Melissa Donahue’s Gulf Coast culinary influences.
Brian Tietz
Directions
Fill an 80-quart (20-gallon) crawfish pot with water. Bring to a boil and add the blackening seasoning and lemons.
Once the blackening seasoning has dissolved, add the sausage and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the corn and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the crawfish and shrimp and boil for 8 minutes.
Line a large table with newspaper. Once the crawfish and shrimp are cooked, pull the strainer from the pot, dump the contents onto the table and enjoy.
Serve with remoulade.
Andouille sausage is sliced before being added to the crawfish boil. The smoky sausage cooks alongside potatoes, corn, celery, shrimp and crawfish.
Brian Tietz
For the remoulade
1 carrot, rough chopped
1 red onion, rough chopped
2 stalks celery, rough chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Creole mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Crystal hot sauce
Photo by Brian Tietz www.briantietz.com
Brian Tietz
Directions
In a food processor, blend the carrot, onion, celery and garlic until they form a paste.
Add the lemon juice, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise and hot sauce and blend until combined.
Wine pairing: Honig Sauvignon Blanc
Beer pairing: Florida Avenue Luminescence
Notes & Chef’s Tips
• The 80-quart pot (with strainer) can be placed on an indoor stove, an outdoor gas grill or a burner attached to a propane tank. It will take longer to boil on an indoor residential stove.
