Boiled Crawfish Recipes

CRAWFISH BOIL

Steps:

• Place the crawfish in a large cooler, cover with cold water and add 1 cup of the salt. Allow the crawfish to purge in the salted water for 5 to 10 minutes. (This Southern tradition is said to remove mud and impurities before cooking.) Strain the crawfish and set aside.
• Fill a 42-quart stockpot fitted with a boil basket halfway with water. Add the crab and crawfish boil seasoning and remaining cup kosher salt. Then add the sausage, corn, onions, lemon juice and rinds, garlic, butter, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Carefully add the crawfish to the stockpot and cook until they're bright red, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and add the ice to the stockpot to halt the cooking. Allow the crawfish and other ingredients to sit in the iced water for 25 to 30 minutes (the longer the crawfish sit, the more flavorful they become).
• Pull the crawfish, sausage and vegetables from the water using the boil basket. Serve over newspaper spread out on a table and sprinkle with seafood boil seasoning.

BOILED CRAWFISH

Steps:

• Open the sack of crawfish and pour them into a large tub. Add enough water to cover the crawfish and allow them to move around a bit. With a gloved hand, pick through the crawfish and remove dead crawfish, baits, sticks, grass and any other foreign objects. Wearing gloves, transfer the crawfish into transfer the crawfish into slotted basket by hand. Dump the water from the galvanized tub, refill with crawfish and add fresh water to cover. Repeat the earlier check for debris. Keep crawfish in a shaded area while preparing for the boil. Place the basket in pot and fill half way with water. Add all of the seasonings and spices except for half bottle of the hot sauce. Place the lid on the pot and set propane burner on high. Bring water boil. When the pot begins to steam, set a timer for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, remove lid. Add the crawfish, vegetables and sausage. Replace lid. When the pot begins to steam again, cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Shut off the propane flame and remove the lid. Add the rest of hot sauce and stir with a cooking paddle to release heat from the pot. Add ice, too, to help the crawfish absorb the seasoning and to stop the crawfish from continuing to cook. While the crawfish are soaking, sample a few to see if more seasoning is needed. Soak for 10 minutes, pull the basket out of the water, let drain and toss onto newspaper.

BOILED CRAWFISH

Steps:

• In a large pot, boil the crawfish in clean water at 215 degrees F for 5 minutes. Toss the crawfish with Cajun Claw's special seasoning or any Creole seasoning before serving.

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH BOIL

Steps:

• Fill a very large pot about 1/3 full with water. Add the garlic, bay leaves, dry and liquid crab boil seasonings, salt, pepper, oranges, lemons, artichokes, and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the corn, onions, mushrooms, and green beans; cook 15 minutes more. Stir in the sausage; cook 5 minutes more. Add the crawfish, return mixture to boil, then simmer until the crawfish shells turn bright red and the tails pull out easily, about 5 minutes. Test for doneness by peeling a crawfish. Be sure not to overcook, or crawfish will become tough.
• Drain well. Serve crawfish hot, Louisiana-style, spread over a picnic table covered with newspapers.