Louisiana Style Crawfish Boil (Printable Version)
Spicy crawfish with potatoes, corn, and sausage cooked in a flavorful southern broth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 lbs live crawfish, thoroughly rinsed
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 lbs small red potatoes, halved if large
03 - 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
04 - 2 large yellow onions, quartered
05 - 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
06 - 2 lemons, halved
→ Sausage
07 - 1 lb andouille sausage or smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
→ Seasoning & Broth
08 - 1/2 cup Louisiana-style seafood boil seasoning (such as Zatarains or Old Bay)
09 - 2 tbsp kosher salt
10 - 1 tbsp cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)
11 - 3 bay leaves
12 - 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
13 - 2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
→ Other
14 - 6 quarts water
15 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter (for tossing after cooking)
16 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
# Method:
01 - Fill a large stockpot (8-10 quarts) with 6 quarts of water. Add seafood boil seasoning, salt, cayenne, bay leaves, peppercorns, hot sauce, onions, garlic, and lemons. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
02 - Add potatoes to the boiling liquid and cook for 10 minutes until they begin to soften.
03 - Add sausage pieces and corn sections to the pot. Boil for another 7 minutes to heat through and start cooking.
04 - Add the live crawfish to the pot. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crawfish shells are bright red and tails are curled.
05 - Turn off the heat and let everything soak in the seasoned broth for 10-20 minutes. The longer the soak, the more flavor and spice will infuse into the ingredients.
06 - Drain the boil using a large colander. Discard the cooked lemons, garlic, and bay leaves from the mixture.
07 - Transfer crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage to a large serving tray or newspaper-lined table. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- The spicy broth infuses every single ingredient with layers of flavor that somehow taste even better when eaten with your hands
- Its a party on a platter, turning dinner into an interactive experience where conversation flows as freely as the beer
02 -
- The soaking time is absolutely critical and I learned the hard way that rushing this step leaves you with mildly flavored crawfish instead of the spicy punch everyone expects
- Live crawfish should be active and lively before cooking, any that are already dead should be discarded as they will ruin the entire batch
03 -
- Add a small batch of new potatoes, mushrooms, or artichokes halfway through cooking for extra variety and to stretch the meal
- If you cannot find crawfish, large shrimp work beautifully though they only need three to five minutes instead of the longer cooking time