Settle back friends take a sip or two
I've got a little recipe I'd like to share with you
It's been handed down for years on 5outh Ba** Island
It's tasty, it's delectable, it's really a fine one
You make it in the early part of summer time
From the freshest ingredients that you can find
It's not deep fried perch or walleye barbecue
It's genuine Put-in-Bay Mayfly stew
Mayfly stew, mayfly stew, pour me out another bowl or two
It's nutritious and delicious and it looks like glue
It's genuine Put-in-Bay mayfly stew!
Start with some Mayflies; I'd say about a million
Put them in the fridge so they can start chillin'
Soak them in water with a little bit of salt
A big "BAM" of essence and a just a pinch of malt
Then you chop up some garlic - about a hundred and fifty cloves
Some onion, some celery, maybe a couple of tomatoes
To complete your preparation you'll need to make a stock
So go snag a carp from the public docks...Ahhhl
Put it in a pot, cover `em with water
Bring it to a boil and I tell you, you nearly got ‘er
Let ‘er simmer down, pour in a beer
Then strain the liquid out until you've got it nice and clear
Mayfly stew, mayfly stew pour me out another• bowl or two
It's nutritious and delicious and it looks like glue
It's genuine Put-in-Bay mayfly stew!
I should probably mention here the best way to catch `em
Is you go down to the lake shore when they all start hatchin'
Wear a white shirt, take along a flashlight
And you should get your quota by the end of the night
If you're not a gourmet, then buddy you should just go
To De Riviera park when the sun gets kinda low
Take along a shovel, take along a fishing net
And you can get what you need without any sweat
Make sure you catch the young ones — don't take no oldies
They should have a tinge of green and not be brown or moldy
Their wings should be folded up and not in a bunch
And their abdomens should pop with a satisfying crunch
Mayfly stew, mayfly stew, pour me out another bowl or two
It's nutritious and delicious and it looks like glue
It's genuine Put-in-Bay mayfly stew!
Take the Mayflies from the fridge and put them in a blender
Then push the puree bu*ton and let it spin until you render
Every little carca** into a uniform ma**
And then get a spoon and take a little taste test
Add some cayenne and your preferential| spice
(I find that parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme work nice!)
And then mix it with the stock and reduce it till it thickens
Be sure to cook it slow and stir it like the dickens
It'll start to smell so good that it'll put you in a coma
Your friends and the police will stop to check out the aroma
So ladle 'em up a big dish, have a celebration
Put live ones on the top... that's your presentation
Mayfly stew, mayfly stew, pour me out another bowl or two
It's nutritious and delicious and it looks like glue
It's genuine Put-in-Bay mayfly stew!