Crawfish are small crustaceans found all across the world. When the Acadians were forced to relocate from Nova Scotia to Louisiana in the 1700 & 1800's they discovered this delicacy that was native to the waters of their new home.
There are many Cajun & Creole recipes today that utilize utilize crawfish but having a boil is a special occasion, a time to celebrate with family & friends.
The boil itself is not a complicated affair: seasonings are placed into a large pot of water and brought to a boil after which food is added. Along with crawfish common additions to a boil include sausage, onions, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, mushrooms, lemons and possibly a variety of other vegetables, it's completely up to the cook.
One can purchase pre-mixed seasoning packets at most any grocery store or you can make your own from scratch, I've done both with equal success. If buying a pre-mixed boil seasoning packet I prefer Zatarain's but there are others that work just as well.
If I'm making my own from scratch here is my list of ingredients: Salt, Cayenne pepper, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Bay leaf, Black peppercorns, Lemon (either whole fresh & halved or use reconstituted lemon juice), Old Bay seasoning. The idea is have the right balance of salt, spices & citrus to suit your taste.
Here's what I used in a boil recently:
Without any doubt, the most important thing to purchase is live crawfish from a quality supplier in Louisiana. I highly recommend the Louisiana Crawfish Company of Natchitoches (nak-uh-dish) LA. I've done business with them for years & never had any complaint, their prices are excellent and the service is second-to-none.
One can do a boil outdoors with a propane burner or on the stove top ( remember to open your windows though or the pepper fumes may catch up with you).
Make sure you check your crawfish as soon as they're delivered to make sure they are alive. Keep them chilled until you're ready to cook 'em, one can keep them in an cooler on ice overnight if you desire.
I start by emptying the crawfish into an ice chest and rinsing them with lukewarm water. This will wake them up ( they hibernate when they are cold) and they will begin to move actively. Use this time to remove any dead ones you find ( there will always be at least a few) you don't want them in your boil.
Rinse them off several times until you're satisfied they are pretty clean. Once you're there, get your water boiling & add the boil seasonings including lemon. I like to let this cook at a boil for about an hour before adding any of the food.
When it's ready, throw in the potatoes, corn, sausage (find some good andouille sausage to use, it's worth the effort) and whatever else you want and let it cook until the potatoes are close to being done.
Add the crawfish and let them cook for 15-20 at a low boil. Turn off the heat & let them sit to absorb the seasonings.
Some folks like to drain 'em and then cover 'em in spices & ice 'em down before eating. Myself, I like to drain 'em and then put 'em in an ice chest to keep them warm until you eat.
Now comes the best part: spread out some newspapers on your table, dump a bunch of the crawfish & other foods on it and enjoy a true delicacy with the good people in your life. Take your time, have some good music & drink and don't be afraid to make a mess or to eat until you're stuffed. I always do.
I know this post was long, thanks for sticking with me, please follow me & I'll do the same for you.
I'm planning on more recipes & other posts and as always, I'm happy to respond to your comments/questions below.
7-3's!