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Classic Crawfish Boil

This classic crawfish boil brings the spirit of a Southern backyard party straight to your kitchen. A layered seasoning approach infuses every single crawfish with bold, spicy, buttery flavor. Perfect for feeding a crowd with minimal hands-on cooking time.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Cajun, Southern
Calories: 320

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 30 pounds live crawfish purged and cleaned
  • 4 to 5 pounds crawfish boil seasoning such as Zatarains or Louisiana brand
  • 1/2 cup cayenne pepper for extra heat
  • 6 whole lemons halved
  • 4 whole heads garlic halved horizontally
  • 4 large yellow onions quartered
  • 1 bunch celery cut into 4 inch pieces
  • 10 to 12 bay leaves
  • 4 ounces liquid crab boil
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 2 cups kosher salt
Vegetables and Extras
  • 5 pounds red potatoes small to medium sized
  • 10 ears corn on the cob halved
  • 2 pounds andouille sausage cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 1 pound whole mushrooms optional

Equipment

  • Large stockpot or crawfish boiling pot (60 to 80 quart capacity)
  • Propane burner for outdoor cooking
  • Crawfish boiling basket or large strainer
  • Long handled paddle or wooden spoon
  • Large cooler or ice chest for purging
  • Newspaper or butcher paper for serving
  • Heavy duty gloves for handling hot basket

Method
 

  1. Purge the crawfish by placing live crawfish in a large cooler and cover with cool water and a generous amount of salt. Let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to encourage them to expel mud and grit. Drain and rinse thoroughly, discarding any dead crawfish that float or do not move.
  2. Set up your propane burner outdoors on a stable, level surface away from any structures. Fill your large pot with water to about two thirds full, approximately 8 to 10 gallons.
  3. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the crawfish boil seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, liquid crab boil, bay leaves, and halved lemons, squeezing the juice into the pot before dropping them in. Let this seasoned water boil for 10 minutes to fully bloom the spices.
  4. Add the garlic heads, onions, and celery to the boiling water. After 5 minutes, add the potatoes and let them cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Drop in the corn cob halves and andouille sausage pieces. Cook for about 10 minutes to absorb the spicy broth.
  6. Carefully lower the basket of purged crawfish into the boiling water. Crank the heat to bring it back to a boil as quickly as possible. Once boiling resumes, cook for exactly 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. Turn off the burner completely and add the entire pound of butter to the pot. Let everything sit in the hot liquid for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste a crawfish at 20 minutes and continue soaking if you want more intense flavor and heat.
  8. Lift the basket to drain, letting excess liquid fall back into the pot. Dump everything onto a newspaper covered table and serve immediately while hot.

Notes

The soak time is where you control spice intensity. A 20 minute soak gives moderate heat, while 30 to 45 minutes produces crawfish that will make you reach for milk. Always taste the boiling water before adding crawfish - it should taste aggressively salty and spicy because the crawfish shells dilute the flavor significantly. Save some seasoned boiling liquid for dipping or making crawfish bisque the next day.