Crawfish Boil

[mrtr33]

Well, it is done.

Got started early with the preparations. Picked up 25 pounds around noon, and put them on ice. Fired up the pot around 5:30. Made 3 batches. We put the potatoes in first, then after the water was boiling, then we added the crawfish, corn, mushrooms, and onions. Just cooked the veggies in with the crawfish. Didn't add enough spice the first batch. Got better as I added more spices.

The card tables we were supposed to be borrowing never materialized, so, I threw together a little 4' X 4' 2X4 table, with a quarter-inch plywood top. I then covered and stapled newspaper to the top of it. I figured even if it ran through the paper, it's still a cheap-o table.

Overall it was quite nice. I'd do a few things different the next time. Only have about another month of boiling crawfish, though. Then it's shrimp season....

[bigwhiteash]

MmMMmmmmm shrimp!


My favorite vegetable!

[CAJUNBLAZE]

Yeah, when you taste the water before you add the crawfish, it really has to burn, they always get better after every batch.

What did you learn that you would do different?

Rich

[mrtr33]

Two things. I think I would have started earlier (the first batch didn't come out until about 6:30). I would also definitely add more vegetables. The corn on the cob is good, but I love the potatoes, and those mushrooms. What about adding green beans, asparagus, what else? More experimenting is necessary.

But now I'm hooked. We might try to do one more boil (to those of you not in the know, there's about a month left in the season), but I'm really interested in boiling up some shrimp.

Thanks again, Rich!

[Diesel Grinch]

Just wrong talking about them and then shrimp. We have a Crawfish fest up here every year. Stop going as the $$$ got to much for a family of 4.

I was think of how to say this as I didn't want all the comments. After eating the tail do you suck the juice?

One of these days I'm going to Louisiana. Just love the food.

DG

[mrtr33]

After eating the tail do you suck the juice?

One of these days I'm going to Louisiana. Just love the food.

I'll say it. You want to know if we suck the heads? I do, but it depends. A common misconception is that when you suck the heads you get brains and eyeballs. The shell is actually hollow. All you are getting when you suck the juice out of the body is just the flavor of the spice used in the boil. And it depends on the boil mixture. Some people just use Zatarain's as a boil mixture, but others are as particular about their mix as a Texan is about their chili, or a west Tennessean is about their BBQ sauce. I don't ever get sick of the Zatarain's stuff, but considering the crawfish season is only about 4-5 months long, I usually can't.

Come on down! I would say probably the best time of year to come down is in the spring time, closely followed by the fall. The weather is bearable then, the heat and humidity are what summers are like in other parts of the country, and there aren't as many mosquitoes. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous. About the only downside to springs and falls here is that there are some pretty gnarly thunderstorms. Aside from that, it's great.

[CAJUNBLAZE]

You want to try boiling your vegs before your crawfish, somehow they seem sweeter. Those mushrooms never taste better!! Trying out new things can only make it better, but watch out for soft vegs they will ruin your water. If I was doing softer vegs, I would put them in the washed crawfish sack, that way I could take them out when ready and have more control of the cooking process.
Always add more, alot more seasoning then you think you need on the first boil. You can always soak for less time, but remember the next boil will always be hotter than the first. Glad you enjoyed.

Rich

I have put a firm fish in a crawfish sack and boiled it after the vegs but before the crawfish. I'll let you try that one!!!

[mrtr33]

In just about all the boils I've attended, they put the potatoes in a few minutes before putting the crawfish in. Then after they put the bugs in, they put in veggies. Didn't notice any sogginess of anything, except maybe the onions. Everything was great.

I guess my only hesitation doing all the veggies first is that they'll get cold while waiting for the bugs to cook. I don't know. To each their own.