A crawfish boil is a quintessential Louisiana social event centered around a giant pot of seasoned water bubbling with fresh crawfish
A True Louisiana Tradition: How to Host the Perfect Crawfish Boil
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
sA crawfish boil is a quintessential Louisiana social event centered around a giant pot of seasoned water bubbling with fresh crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage. This classic recipe provides a delicious base, but feel free to adjust the seasonings and ingredients to suit your taste.
Ingredients
- 5 gallons water
- 6-8 pounds live crawfish, purged and rinsed
- 3-4 pounds crab boil seasoning (adjust amount for desired spice level)
- 4 lemons, halved
- 4 oranges, halved
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 whole garlic head, halved
- 2-3 pounds small red potatoes, washed
- 6-8 ears fresh corn, husked and cleaned
- 1 pound smoked sausage links (optional)
- Newspaper or butcher paper to cover tables (optional)
- Large tables for eating
- Ice chests to keep cooked ingredients warm
- Cocktail sauce
- Melted butter
- Lemon wedges
- Cajun seasoning (optional)
For the Boil
For Serving
Directions
Prepare the Crawfish: Purge the live crawfish by soaking them in salted cold water for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
Make the Boil: In a large stockpot, combine water, crawfish boil seasoning mix, lemons, oranges, bay leaves, and garlic. Bring to a rolling boil.
Cook the Vegetables: Add the potatoes and boil for 10-15 minutes until almost tender. Add the corn cobs and cook 5 more minutes. Some boilers cook veggies separately to avoid affecting the crawfish flavor.
Add the Crawfish: Once veggies are cooked, add the purged crawfish. Return to a rolling boil, reduce heat slightly, and cook for only 3-5 minutes until shells turn bright red and tails curl up. Don't overcook!
Drain and Serve: Turn off heat and let the crawfish soak for 10 more minutes. Carefully drain everything through a colander onto tables covered with newspaper or butcher paper. Arrange the crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage.
