Boiled Crawfish
Updated February 23, 2016 
The crawfish will become spicier the longer they sit in the liquid.
Serves5
CostModerate
Total Timeunder 2 hours
OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Cocktail Party, game day
Recipe Coursemain course
Mealdinner
Moodfestive
Taste and Texturegarlicky, spiced, tangy
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 3 lemons, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped celery leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 1 package (3 ounces) shrimp or crab boil
- 7 pounds live crawfish
Instructions
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Fill a large stockpot one-third full of cold water. Add all of the ingredients except the crawfish and boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the crawfish in salted cold water for about 15 minutes; rinse.
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Strain the stock and discard the vegetables.
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Place the crawfish in the liquid and add water to cover, if necessary.
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Bring to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and serve.
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To make Boiled Shrimp, use 5 pounds shrimp instead of the crawfish and remove the shrimp as soon as they come to a boil.
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Creamers (baby new potatoes) are the usual accompaniment, cooked in the same crawfish liquor.
Christopher Idone
