Boiling Crawfish
When boiling crawfish, you can use a large boiling pot that is usually heated by a butane flame for outdoor gatherings, or you can use the stovetop and a large, deep pot for indoor cooking. For a 30- to 35-pound sack of crawfish, fill the pot half to two-thirds full of water.
There are four options you can use for seasonings:
Option 1
Add:
- 1 ½ (16 oz) boxes of salt
- A half bulb of garlic
- Three tablespoons of cayenne pepper
Option 2
Add:
- 1 ½ (16 oz) boxes of salt
- Three lemons cut in half
- Three or four onions cut in half
- Three tablespoons red pepper
- Two tablespoons black pepper (optional)
Option 3
Add:
- Two or three boxes of dried crab boil mix
or
- Two or three bottles of liquid crab boil and garlic
Option 4
- Experiment. Place whatever seasoning you like—onions, peppers and so forth. It is extremely difficult to over season crawfish.
Cooking
- Bring your water and spice solution to a boil
- Before boiling your crawfish, try boiling ears of corn cut in half and small red potatoes for side dishes. The corn and potatoes soak up the seasoning and provide a spicy meal.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil and add a 1/3 to 1/2 sack of crawfish and boil for about seven minutes. Check to make sure they are cooked to your satisfaction. Use a basket or strainer to remove the crawfish once they’re finished cooking.
- Tip: We recommend adding a stick of butter every few pots to make the crawfish easier to peel.
- We recommend having several clean coolers on hand. The corn, potates and crawfish can be placed in these coolers to keep them warm while cooking continues. This also ensures that the crawfish stay warm between servings. You can also add more seasoning once the crawfish are cooked. We use Tony Chachere’s.
Enjoy!
*This recipe courtesy Southeast Texas Crawfish Farm
