Crawfish Boil
Whole live crawfish simmered in a massive pot of heavily seasoned, spicy water with corn, potatoes, and sausage — the definitive Cajun communal feast. Plan ahead: live crawfish should be purged in salted water for 20 minutes before cooking.
Ingredients
- 30 lbs live crawfish (or 5 lb frozen pre-cooked crawfish tails), purged and rinsed
- 2 bags Zatarain's Crab and Shrimp Boil seasoning bag
- 1/2 cup Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 6 lemons, halved
- 4 heads heads of garlic, halved crosswise
- 4 large yellow onions, quartered
- 8 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 3 lbs small red potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 lbs andouille smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 ears of corn, husked, halved
- 1 lb whole button mushrooms
Instructions
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1
Fill a 60-quart or larger boiling pot with a strainer basket about two-thirds full of water. Add 2 bags Zatarain's Crab and Shrimp Boil seasoning bag, 1/2 cup Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's), 1/2 cup kosher salt, 6 halved lemons, 4 heads halved crosswise heads of garlic, 4 quartered large yellow onions, 8 bay leaves, and 2 tbsp cayenne pepper. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
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2
Add 3 lbs scrubbed small red potatoes and 2 lbs cut into 2-inch pieces andouille smoked sausage to the boiling water. Cook for 15 minutes.
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3
Add 6 husked, halved ears of corn and 1 lb whole button mushrooms. Cook 10 more minutes.
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4
Add the purged 30 lbs purged and rinsed live crawfish (or 5 lb frozen pre-cooked crawfish tails) to the pot. Return to a boil and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the crawfish are bright red and cooked through — shells will turn vivid red and the tails will curl tightly.
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5
Turn off the heat. Allow crawfish and vegetables to soak in the seasoned water for 20 to 30 minutes so the spices penetrate — this soaking step is what makes the boil flavorful. Taste occasionally and pull when the heat level is right.
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6
Lift the strainer basket and drain. Spread everything onto a newspaper-lined table or large trays. Serve hot; provide dipping butter and extra Cajun seasoning on the side.