Description
A classic Southern-style stovetop crawfish boil featuring live or frozen crawfish simmered with andouille sausage, baby red potatoes, corn nibblers, and a robust blend of citrus and Cajun seasonings, finished with a rich homemade garlic butter sauce for a flavorful and festive seafood feast.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Boil Ingredients
- 6 lbs live or frozen crawfish, rinsed well
- 10 ounces Louisiana Crawfish Shrimp & Crab Boil Seasoning
- 4 cups seafood stock (or chicken broth)
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters
- 4 celery stalks, cut into rough chunks
- 8 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 oranges, cut into quarters
- 2 lemons, cut into quarters
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana concentrated Crawfish Crab & Shrimp Boil liquid
- 1 lb andouille sausage, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1–2 lbs baby red potatoes
- 6–8 fresh or frozen corn on the cob nibblers
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Creole Cajun Seasoning – homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Clean the Crawfish: Thoroughly clean and purge the crawfish, whether live or frozen, by rinsing them well to remove any dirt or debris.
- Prepare Boiling Liquid: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, combine 1½ gallons of water with the Louisiana Crawfish Shrimp & Crab Boil seasoning, seafood stock, quartered onion, celery chunks, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, quartered oranges and lemons, distilled white vinegar, and concentrated boil liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes to develop a rich broth.
- Cook Sausage and Potatoes: Add the andouille sausage pieces and baby red potatoes to the pot. Continue cooking the mixture for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add Crawfish and Corn: Carefully add the rinsed crawfish and corn nibblers to the boiling pot, making sure they are fully submerged. Boil the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes until the crawfish turn bright red and are cooked through.
- Make Garlic Butter Sauce: While the boil is cooking, melt the unsalted butter in a separate saucepan. Stir in the finely minced garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, Creole Cajun seasoning, and chopped parsley if using. Cook gently to combine all flavors, making a fragrant garlic butter sauce.
- Combine and Serve: Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Remove the crawfish boil contents from the pot, discarding any unwanted bits. Pour the garlic butter sauce over the crawfish, sausage, potatoes, and corn, and mix well to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Serve the crawfish boil immediately, either spread out on the baking sheet for a communal feast or plated individually with additional lemon wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- For best flavor, ensure crawfish are well purged if using live; soak them in fresh water with a little salt for 20 minutes.
- If live crawfish are unavailable, frozen crawfish tails work well but reduce boil time to avoid overcooking.
- You can substitute seafood stock with chicken broth for a mild but still flavorful base.
- Adjust the amount of boil seasoning and spices according to your heat preference.
- Use fresh corn on the cob nibblers when in season for optimal sweetness and texture.
- The garlic butter sauce can be doubled if you prefer a richer coating.
- Serve with crusty bread and cold beverages to make it a full Southern-style meal.
