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Boiled Crawfish

Serves about 4.

1 package of your favorite brand of crawfish or crab boil (found in seasoning or seafood aisle)
1 large lemon, halved
4 bay leaves
1 head garlic, separated into cloves
1 onion, quartered.

10 lbs. purged* live crawfish
2 pounds small red potatoes
4 or more ears of fresh corn, shucked and broken in half
Old Bay or Tony Chachere's seasoning

newspapers
ice

  1. Fill a large stockpot (see note, below) a little more than halfway with water. Bring to a boil.
    You'll probably want your stockpot to be at least 8 gallons, or big enough to hold ingredients and still have about 1/3 - 1/4 of the pot's height in extra headroom. If you're uncertain, toss in the live crawfish, unshucked corn and potatoes to eyeball it. If your pot is too small to hold your vegetables and crawfish, don't freak out. You can always cook the vegetables an additional 5 minutes or so, then remove them from the pot and keep them covered with foil or a big bowl while you cook the crawfish.
  2. Add crawfish boil, lemon (press lemon halves over water before adding), bay leaves, garlic, and onion quarters. Wait about a minute.
  3. Add potatoes. Let cook about 10 minutes. While the corn is boiling, cover your table (preferably outdoors) with thick layers of newspaper.
  4. Add corn. Let cook about 5 minutes.
  5. Add crawfish. Boil 4 minutes (use a timer). Remove from heat and let soak an additional 3 minutes. Soaking longer will overcook them.
  6. Dump in a few cups of ice to cool the water. Drain the pot, using the lid, and keeping a strainer basket underneath to catch anything that slips out. Spill the contents of the entirewhole drained pot onto the center of your newspaper-covered table. Eat with your hands, and serve with shakers of Old Bay or Tony Chachere's for extra seasoning. For instructions on peeling crawfish, see our step-by-step how-to guide.

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