Boiled Crawfish Recipe

Purge and rinse

Place live crawfish in a large tub or cooler and cover with cool water. Add 1/4 cup of the kosher salt and stir to dissolve. Let crawfish sit 5–10 minutes; then drain and discard the water. Repeat rinsing and draining 2 more times until the rinses run relatively clear. During the last rinse, spread crawfish on a tray and remove any obviously dead ones (soft shells, no movement).

Keep crawfish refrigerated or on ice while you prepare the boil. Do not soak in fresh water for long periods; short rinses are sufficient.

Bring water to a boil

In a very large pot (at least 8–12 quart), add 6 liters (about 24 cups) of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add base seasonings

Once boiling, add the remaining 3/4 cup kosher salt, 1 cup crab boil seasoning, bay leaves, peppercorns, smashed garlic, quartered onions, thyme sprigs, and the halved lemons (squeeze 2 of the lemon halves into the pot before dropping them in). Stir and return to a vigorous boil.

Cook vegetables & sausage

Add the potatoes and cook 10 minutes. Then add the corn and sausage and cook another 5–7 minutes, until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife. Adjust timing if using larger potatoes or more corn.

Add crawfish

Carefully add the live crawfish to the boiling, seasoned water. Stir gently to distribute and cover the pot. Bring back to a boil, then cook uncovered for 5–8 minutes, stirring once or twice so seasoning distributes evenly.

Turn off heat and steep

Turn off the heat and let the crawfish and other ingredients steep in the hot seasoned water for 20–30 minutes, depending on how spicy and seasoned you want them. For more flavor, steep up to 40 minutes; for a lighter flavor, steep 15–20 minutes.

Taste a piece of potato or a crawfish tail to check seasoning. If desired, add up to 1/2 cup more crab boil seasoning or additional lemon juice, then steep another 5–10 minutes.

Drain and arrange

Using a large strainer basket or by lifting portions with tongs, drain the crawfish, vegetables, and sausage. Spread them out on a newspaper-lined table or large serving tray for a traditional presentation.

Finish with butter and herbs

Drizzle the melted butter over the hot crawfish and vegetables, sprinkle chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges and cocktail or remoulade sauce if desired.

Keep leftovers refrigerated in a covered container and consume within 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or in a covered pan to retain moisture. Do not leave cooked seafood at room temperature for more than 2 hours.