Crab is back in Bas-Saint-Laurent

Snow crab tastes fresh and new. It can be eaten as a guédille, with garlic butter, or just plain. But above all, it’s eaten in gangs. And maybe that’s what makes it so good.

This emblematic Northern crustacean lives in the cold, deep waters of the Gulf of Saint-Laurent. It’s fished in spring, in a short, intense window, before it molts and becomes empty. It’s a fragile, ephemeral and precious product. Once exported almost exclusively, it has carved out a place for itself on our tables. Today, it’s one of the first pleasures of a spring breeze – like bundles of water drying in the sun, or the first beers drunk on the shores of the river.

And those who sell it, those who prepare it with heart, know every subtlety.

Bernard Lauzier is one of them. He bought his first fishing license when he was 16. Not simply because he didn’t like school – he told me with a laugh – but because it was in his blood. Salt water, tides, life outside. Then one day, as he drove past this “For Rent” space, he jumped at the chance to convince his wife and mother to open a fishmonger’s shop. It was small. Simple. But it was his. And it was already good.

And ever since then, when crab season starts, history repeats itself, and the lines at the fishmonger’s go up in flames.

At Poissonnerie Lauzier, two full-time employees spend their days answering the phone. Reservations, questions, “Will there be enough crab for this weekend?”

For Bernard, it’s an exciting time… but a little stressful too. The product is expected, desired… but never guaranteed.

And that’s where the complexity lies. Pleasing those who are waiting for their feast, while knowing that we won’t be able to please everyone. Because it’s the river that decides.

While Poissonnerie Lauzier’s influence extends far beyond Kamouraska, Bernard’s role is behind the scenes. Discreet, but committed. He has a modest entrepreneurial spirit, but a strong backbone.

And then there are the customers. Last summer, while he was renovating his new fishmonger’s in Rivière-du-Loup, some of them came to see him, just to say thank you.

He says it softly, without flaunting it. But you can feel it touches him. Because what he’s built isn’t just a business. It’s a relationship of trust, built over the seasons, between storms and breaks. And that can’t be measured in pounds of crab.

He cherishes his customers as much as his team. And at his counters, it’s obvious: everything is appetizing. You want to taste everything, take everything home.
Fill your freezer… and your belly.

Kamouraska is a village renowned for its landscapes, sunsets and gourmet stops. A summer rendezvous for epicureans from near and far. Those who come want to stay. And those who leave… come back.

And what tourists are really looking for are the little treasures of the locals. Poissonnerie Lauzier is one of them. A business originally conceived for the locals, it now also attracts those who pass through. Those who want to experience – if only for a weekend – what makes the region tick.

So there it is.
The crab has returned.
With it, that little feverishness that smells of spring… and garlic butter.

Be patient – the lines are long, the crab sometimes plays hide-and-seek – but hang in there.

The feast is coming.
And like everything rare, it’s worth the wait.