Crawfish Boil
Level: Intermediate | Total Time: 1 hour | Active Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Crawfish boils are a messy, fun, hands-on social experience—far less intimidating than they might seem. Adjust the heat to your taste—these shellfish grow more flavorful the longer they sit. Bring the spicy, bold flavors of this Louisiana favorite to your next backyard gathering, and don’t forget the paper towels!
Ingredients
2 cups kosher salt (divided: 1 cup for purging, 1 cup for boiling)
Crab and crawfish boil seasoning
Sausage (cut into links or pieces, if desired)
Corn (husks removed, cut into halves or quarters)
Onions (peeled and quartered)
Lemon juice and rinds (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Garlic (peeled, whole cloves)
Butter (unsalted, cubed)
Fresh thyme (bundled or loose)
Bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Potatoes (medium, scrubbed, whole or cut into halves)
Ice (for cooling)
Additional seafood boil seasoning (for serving)
Special Equipment
Large cooler
44-quart stockpot with a boil basket
Directions
Place the crawfish in a large cooler, cover with cold water, and add 1 cup of the kosher salt. Allow the crawfish to purge in the salted water for 5 to 10 minutes (a Southern tradition said to remove mud and impurities). 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 1 cup of 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 to the boiling water and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully add the strained crawfish to the stockpot and cook until bright red, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and add ice to halt the cooking process.
Let the crawfish, sausage, and vegetables sit in the iced water for 25 to 30 minutes—the longer they soak, the more flavorful they become.
Use the boil basket to lift the crawfish, sausage, and vegetables from the water. Serve spread out on newspaper (for easy cleanup) and sprinkle with additional seafood boil seasoning.
