Crawfish Boil

**wild** · 05-28-2009, 04:35 AM

Crawfish are not indigenous to Arizona so I'm always tossing my traps out when I can. First I flush them with clean water every 5 minutes until the water stays clean (salt if you like). Then I separate the critters into two empty pots, tossing out the dead ones. Small ones are destined for the etouffee and the big boys for the boil. I use a turkey fryer with basket for the boil outside. Figure 3-5 #'s of crawfish per person. Fill the pot half way with clean water. Put the empty basket into the boil pot and get the water to boiling, toss the ingredients in and let it boil for 10 minutes. Toss in the crawfish and stir them a bit until the boil starts up again. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the burner and cover the pot for 25 minutes. Pull the basket out and let drain.

I usually cover the table with butcher paper so that all I have to do is dump the crawfish in the middle of the table and let everyone chow-down. Good eatin'.

**CAJUNBLAZE** · 05-28-2009, 08:49 AM

A question I can answer.

We do a crawfish boil at least once a week in season.

You need plenty beer. sack of crawfish, salt, red pepper, boil seasoning, lemon, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, corn, celery, garlic, sausage(smoked), and two bags of ice.

Flush clean the crawfish in a ice chest, thats simply fill ice chest with crawfish add water the salt(about half a container). Let it sit for 5 minutes then drain, repeat this until empty water drains pretty clean. This step if done will let the crawfish taste cleaner and sweeter.

While doing this step fill your pot half way with water add salt and red pepper and bring to a boil. once boiling you want to taste the water. You should have enough salt to taste but you should have enough red pepper to where you can barely stand it. You can add the garlic whole cloves, onions whole, potatoes whole, lemon cut in half, and celery whole. These are all options. Bring back to boil for 5 minutes. Then add cut sausage about 3 inches long and mushrooms. Bring back to boil. Boil until potatoes are tender, fork goes through them easily.
Remove and keep warm. You have an option here, you can either sprinkle crawfish boil seasoning on them or add liquid crab boil to the water when you add the sausage. We prefer to add the seasoning after they are boiled, that way you can adjust how hot you want them or split the items in half and have two different seasoned batches, one with and one without.

Now, Keep the same water but add more of the crawfish boil seasoning to the water. Taste it should almost burn you lips, bring to a boil. Add your clean crawfish we put the fire just about as high as it will go on the pot. Cover the pot and do not take lid off! When steam is coming out from between the lid and pot really good, like an old fashion tea kettle, turn the heat off completely. Let soak for ten minutes with the lid on. The next steps are key to good crawfish. Take one out at ten minutes and put the lid back on. Eat the crawfish, if it is seaoned like you like, if not let it soak for 5 more minutes and repeat until they are like you like them. You don't have to get them real seasoning because you can always sprinkle the crawfish boil seasoning on after they are boiled to make the killer hot ones. When you like the taste, take your ice and dump it in the pot, this will stop the cooking process, pop the shells making it easier to peel, and soak up more of the boil water. After 3 minutes in the ice remove crawfish and spread on table. Add seasoning to half if you want them really HOT!!!

Don't forget to drink the beer during the whole process!

Enjoy Rich

By the way don't be afraid to boil a sack in two boils. Just remember to taste the water before the second boil and add seasoning if needed. For some reason the second boil always come out better. Hotter or to much beer?

**FactoredReality** · 05-28-2009, 10:22 AM

Wow now I want to try a crawfish boil. Thanks, this has me drooling with an hour before my lunch break.

**mrtr33** · 05-28-2009, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by CAJUNBLAZE

Don't forget to drink the beer during the whole process!

Thanks a ton. I think this is what I'm going to go with. The cheapest I can find in town right now is $1.79/lb for live ones. From what I've seen, they are a pretty descent size this season. I debated whether to try this now or wait till next year (crawfish season is almost over), but decided to go ahead and give it a go.

I've never had onions, sausage, or mushrooms in the mix, but everything I've read says that it's great. Looking forward to trying. We're not super-super-spicy people, but thanks for the tips. I think my pot is 42 quarts or something like that. Considering I had a 25-35 pound bag, about how much do you think I could cook at one time?

Crawfish boils are something that I've always attended, and seen done a million different ways, but have never done myself. They are tasty. They take some time to learn how to peel quickly and to get all the meat out of the tail (I also work on the good sized claws), but they are worth it! Thanks again.

**CAJUNBLAZE** · 05-29-2009, 08:43 AM

Sometimes when I boil, I taste enough crawfish that all I eat with everyone else is the onion, potatoes, and sausage. You can also add carrots with the sausage. onions are a must!!

Any other questions just ask!

Rich

**mrtr33** · 05-29-2009, 01:12 PM

Sweet. I'll try taking some pictures, but keep in mind, I'll probably be drinking beer and smoking cigars all day in preparation. We went to get the boil seasonings, and just went with the normal Zatarain's boil. Each crawfish place here in town sells their own "blend", though.

I am stoked on adding the mushrooms. Never done that before.

Any other tips you can think of? Again, I never thought this was going to be hard, but doing something for the first time......

**bigwhiteash** · 05-29-2009, 01:30 PM

Not sure if it translates over.. but every time I cook blue crabs, or Frogmore Stew..(Sausage Potatos, shrimp, corn on the cob), it is ESSENTIAL to add a full bottle of beer to the water.