Crawfish boils, a one-pot meal made from boiling crawfish with vegetables and seasoning, are a tradition in Louisiana. Native Americans were the first people in North America to eat crawfish, which are freshwater shellfish resembling miniature lobsters. Acadians—ancestors of Cajuns—settled in Louisiana in the late 1700s after being expelled from Canada’s Maritime provinces. With seafood already a staple of their diet, Acadians who settled along the bayous quickly took advantage of the abundant crawfish. It is believed they brought the technique of boiling seafood with them to the United States. The tradition has continued in Louisiana with crawfish boils taking place across the state and increasingly in other parts of the country.
Recipe Servings: 4
+ 10 minutes resting
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 2 Tbsp whole cloves
- 1½ Tbsp whole allspice
- 5 gallons water
- 1 lb kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- 1 Tbsp dried dill weed
- 6 bay leaves, crumbled
- 10 lbs live crawfish
- 3 lbs small red potatoes, cut in half if larger than 2 inches in diameter
- 8 ears fresh sweet corn, split in half with husks and silks removed
- 2 garlic heads, unpeeled but separated
- 1 lb andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions
- Combine the peppercorns, coriander, cloves, and allspice in a spice grinder and grind for 10–15 seconds.
- Pour the water into a 40-quart pot and add the freshly ground spices, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, dill weed, and bay leaves.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. This takes approximately 40 minutes.
- Put the crayfish in a large container filled with water. Working in small batches, transfer some of the crayfish to a colander and rinse them under cool running water. Remove any dirt or dead crayfish. Once all the crayfish have been rinsed, discard the dirty water, and return the crayfish to the container. Repeat this process several times until the water is clear.
- Add the potatoes, corn, garlic, and sausage to the boiling water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the crayfish, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water, transfer the food to a large serving bowl, and serve immediately.
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