To satisfy the local cracklings craving, extra pounds of ham fat were also ordered. Figures show the boucherie yielded 400 pounds of white boudin and 130 pounds of red. The local ladies made a long table s worth of cakes that were so popular they sold out before most people bought dinner. French is spoken throughout Avoyelles Parish, but it is not Cajun country. The French people of Avoyelles are descendants of settlers who came directly from France rather than through Nova Scotia.
Pork is the main dish here, accompanied by rice topped with a rich, brown gravy.
According to Sanchez, who for the occasion was wearing a priestly black T-shirt carrying the message Good Guys Wear Black, the latest census figures show that the Catholic population of Avoyelles has increased to 87 percent, making it possibly the most Catholic parish in the state. Appropriately, a church yard was the setting for the boucherie . Grand Knight James Armand made the cauldron used for the cooking from old butane tanks. Another knight, Dan Maillet, explained that like cast-iron skillets, the cauldrons themselves had to be seasoned to assure the right flavors. Anyone arriving late was out of luck.