Crawfish Recipe

Purge and chill crawfish

Place live crawfish in a large cooler or tub. Add 8 cups cold water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt, stir gently to dissolve. Let crawfish sit for 10 minutes to purge grit, then drain the water. Rinse crawfish thoroughly under cool running water, removing any dead (floating) ones. Repeat purge once more if water is very muddy. Add 2 cups ice to the final rinse/cooler to keep crawfish cold until ready to cook; keep refrigerated or in a cool shaded place and cook within 2–4 hours.

Prepare boil pot

In a large stockpot (at least 12–16 qt), bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 cup crawfish/seafood boil seasoning, 4 bay leaves, 6 smashed garlic cloves, and the juice from 3 halved lemons (toss the squeezed lemon halves into the pot as well). Stir to combine and return to a boil.

Add potatoes and onions

Add 1.5 lbs small red potatoes and 4 small yellow onions to the boiling seasoned water. Reduce heat slightly to maintain a strong simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife.

Add corn and sausage

Add 4 cobs of corn (cut) and 1 lb halved andouille sausage to the pot. Simmer everything together for 5–7 minutes so flavors meld and corn begins to soften.

Add crawfish

Increase heat so the pot returns to a vigorous boil. Working quickly, add the chilled live crawfish to the pot. Using a long-handled spoon, stir to submerge the crawfish. Boil for 3–4 minutes until shells turn bright red. After boiling time, turn off heat and let the crawfish and other ingredients steep in the hot seasoned liquid for 15–20 minutes (longer steep = spicier).

Finish with butter and sugar

After steeping, carefully drain most of the liquid from the pot (reserve a cup if you want to drizzle). Remove the boiled crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage to a large draining basket or table spread. Toss with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional) and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley so the butter melts and coats hot ingredients.

Spread newspaper or a disposable tablecloth over a large table. Pour the drained crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage onto the table or into a large serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and extra chopped parsley. Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side and extra melted butter if desired.

To eat: twist off the tail from the body, squeeze or peel the tail meat out. Crack claws for meat if desired. Discard shells. Provide napkins and a bowl for shells.