Crawfish Boil

From January to May, my home state of Louisiana indulges in one of its most beloved food seasons—crawfish season! Between the fun of Mardi Gras in February and tunes of Jazz Fest in May, crawfish is the common thread through it all; however, since moving out West to Southern California, my calendar sadly is no longer filled with weekend crawfish boils as it once was in the South, so I figured what better than to bring the boil to me!

This boil recipe is pared down for a stovetop rather than the large outdoor gas burners intended for group boils. The recipe cooks 5 pounds of live crawfish, plus fixings like corn, sausage, and mushrooms. The resulting portion will sufficiently feed 3 people, considering the average portion is 2 to 2½ pounds of crawfish per person.

Components of a crawfish boil:
— Live, rinsed crawfish. Always make sure your crawfish is sufficiently cleaned and alive before adding them to the boil. Rinse the crawfish with a hose a few times until the water is no longer muddy and discard any crawfish that aren’t moving. If you do get any dead crawfish in the boil, no worries. Just make sure to avoid eating tails that are crumbly or mushy. They should be firm and plump, like the texture of a lobster tail.
— A really big pot. Make sure to have at minimum a 10-quart pot to be able to fit all the veggies, crawfish, and 4 quarts of boil liquid. If you’re cooking for a crowd, definitely consider purchasing a seafood boil pot with a strainer and multiply the recipe for the pounds of crawfish you’ll be boiling.
— Boil seasoning. There are many different types of crawfish boil seasonings, but my go-tos are the seasoning mixes from Louisiana brand crawfish boil and Zatarains brand crawfish and crab boil. Other boilers may use the spice bag and/or liquid boil in addition, but I don’t find them necessary in this recipe.
— The “fixins.” Corn, sausage, and potatoes are standard, but boilers across Louisiana will add a few more of their own veggies, or “fixins,” to a crawfish boil. My favorite has always been mushrooms and whole garlic heads, so I’ve included them in this recipe; otherwise, some also add artichokes, and those are a fantastic addition as well.

Tips for boiling and eating crawfish:
— Batches get spicier. If you’re boiling more than 5 pounds, boil the crawfish in batches but note that the liquid will get spicier as the water reduces. So the folks who prefer spicier crawfish should wait until the final batches to eat their portions.
— Beer and Old Bay. For a more Eastern spin, you can replace some of the water with light beer and swap the boil seasoning with equal amounts of Old Bay. The flavor will be more celery-forward!
— To dip or not to dip. Many South Louisianans eat crawfish as is without sauces, but if you prefer to dip, you can purchase crawfish dip or make a remoulade.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!