how do ya'll cook crawfish??

[Gerald]

Boiled Crawfish



Equipment Required


Burner, gas bottle, boiling pot w/ basket, something to stir pot, container to wash and purge crawfish.

Cleaning & Purging


Crawfish are usually dirty and should be cleaned before cooking.
· Wash off sacks of crawfish with hose.
· Put crawfish in clean ice chest other container that can be drained. Fill with water until crawfish are covered. Stir the crawfish some to help move them around.
· Drain the dirty water and wash again with clean water. Repeat until water is fairy clean.
· If cooking more than one sack, wash all sack before purging.
· Purging will help some to clean out the crawfish. To purge…..In another container (if available). Fill container until sack is covered and dissolve about 1 to 2 lbs. salt.
· Purge for about 10 to 15 minutes and remove from water. Rinse and place in cool spot before cooking.

Preparation


· Clean up onions.........cut large onions in half.
· Clean up garlic cloves and cut up some.
· Cut lemons in half.
· Clean up corn and cut in half.

Seasoning cooking water


This will vary some depending on pot size and amount of crawfish to be cooked. I will assume the pot will hold about 25 to 30 lbs. of crawfish (not quite a whole sack). Remember it is best not to try to over fill the pot when adding crawfish. Be sure to put basket into pot before cooking crawfish.

I only use Zatarain’s Shrimp & Crab boil. I find other brands require using a lot more to get the same results…. making other brands more expensive to use.

Crawfish (25 to 30 lbs.) 1 st Boil.. 2 nd Boil

1. Salt (26 oz box)............. 3.......... 2 ..........Potatoes........Small size is best
2. Black pepper (oz.) ..........½....... ½ ..........Corn....Cut in half if frozen, thaw
3. Red pepper (oz.)............ 2......... 1
4. Garlic (toes)................... 2 .........1
5. Liquid crab boil (oz) * ...15-20... 10-15 * .....“Premixed” seasoning can be used
6. Tabasco sauce (shake) [to taste] ~1 oz...... and all other ingredients can be
7. Onions (med. size) ..........6.......... 5 ..........reduced or eliminated. Taste and
8. Lemons (med. size)........ 8 ...........5 .........season. I do not use this seasoning
to cook crawfish or sprinkle it over cooked crawfish.

9. Butter for potatoes & corn (squeeze container)

Cooking


· Fill pot a little past half full and start heating.
· Add items 1 thru 7 above and bring to boil. Taste water and add more seasonings, as desired.
· Add crawfish
· Bring back to boil, cut down the fire some and stir. Boil about 5 more minutes. Taste crawfish
· Cut off fire, squeeze lemons over crawfish, stir crawfish and soak for 5 to 15 minutes. The longer the crawfish soak, the more spices they soak up.
· Taste and when ready ….serve

To cook Potatoes and corn


· After cooking the first batch of crawfish......add small potatoes to basket and put in water and bring to boil for 15 to 20 minutes. (Note: if not cooking more crawfish, add ½ cup of salt per 5 lbs. potatoes)
· If you are cooking some corn, add corn to pot after the potatoes have cooked for 8 to10 minutes. Continue to slow boil for 10 more minutes and potatoes and corn should be done. (Note: frozen corn should be allowed to completely thaw before cooking) No addition seasoning required if cooking only corn.
· If you want to cook another batch of crawfish….. After the potatoes boil for 5 minutes, Add seasonings for second Boil and add crawfish after the water is boiling again. After the water comes back to a boil…..add the corn. Stir the crawfish to get the corn down into the water. Cook for 5 minutes after it comes to a boil then turn off the fire to start the soak. Taste crawfish.
· Turn off fire. Squeeze lemons over crawfish, stir crawfish and soak for 5 to15 minutes. Taste and serve.
· Serve butter with potatoes and corn.

Miscellaneous items needed


· Tables and chairs for eating crawfish.
· News paper to cover tables.
· Table for putting seasoning on.
· Hose with spray nozzle.
· Old ice chest to store cooked crawfish in.
· Large trash can and bags for cleanup.
· Paper towels.
· Butter for corn and potatoes.
· Cold beer and other drinks.
· Stuff to make cocktail sauce. (optional)
· Small plastic bowls.(optional)
· Hot buttered French bread. (optional)