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How to Cook Crawfish


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Susan Benton

Description

We are smack dab in the middle of crawfish season, so if you haven’t had a boil at least once this year it’s time to read this guide and catch up.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 30-pound sack of crawfish cleaned
  • 1 bag of fresh lemons, halved
  • 1 bunch celery with leaves cut into thirds
  • 5 whole garlic heads sliced in half top to root
  • 5 onions peeled and cut in half top to root
  • 1 bag of small red potatoes (not cut) and washed, larger potatoes cut in 1/2
  • 12 packs whole mushrooms, dusted (I use a makeup blush brush)
  • 2 pounds of Andouille or smoked sausage cut into 3 inch lengths
  • 1 .12 ounce bottle of Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 cup celery powder
  • 6070 ounces of Seafood Boil Seasoning for 30 pounds of crawfish
  • 4 ounces liquid crab boil (8 oz bottle)
  • Frozen mini corn (16 need for 2 per person)

Instructions

  1. Fill the pot 50 percent of the way with fresh water, and turn on the burner.
  2. Add dry and liquid seafood seasoning products, celery powder and bay leaves.
  3. Squeeze lemons into the pot and add the halved lemons as well.
  4. Add onions, celery and garlic to pot and bring to a boil.
  5. It takes about 20-30 minutes (with the right burner) to get the water and seasoning mix to a hard rolling boil.
  6. Add crawfish into the boil and stir, also softly folding the mixture with the wooden paddle for about 5 minutes, it will die down and will simmer.
  7. Put the lid on, wait 5 minutes and add the potatoes, putting the lid back on.
  8. Check back in 5 minutes for a quick stir, and add the mushrooms, sausage and stir, putting the lid back on.
  9. At this point the crawfish have been in the pot about 15 minutes.
  10. During the cooking process, the water/mixture should not come to a hard rolling boil again. More like a simmer with bubbles.
  11. At 20 minutes, cut off the flame, check the crawfish and close the lid.
  12. Steeping the crawfish will increase the spice and enhance the flavor.
  13. At 25 minutes add the mini corn while crawfish are still sitting high in the pot, and stir about every 5 minutes, as this releases the heat
  14. Note: You can also hose down the exterior of the pot so it will cool down faster.
  15. Taste the crawfish every 5 minutes for the next 10-15 minutes until done. If the tail meat is rubbery, the crawfish is undercooked, if mushy and falling apart, it is overcooked. You are looking for a firm tail, juicy head and great spice.
  16. The crawfish will begin to sink. The sinking means they are ready to eat and have absorbed all of the flavor.
  17. Pull the basket out (this often requires two people), set the basket on the ground for a few minutes to drain, and pour the crawfish onto a table prepped with newspapers for all to enjoy.

Notes

Corn is added at the end to cool down the boil since it takes just a little time to cook itself.

  • Category: Side, Cooking Tips
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