Crawfish Boil

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Yield:

12 servings

A crawfish boil is only as good as the seasoned broth, so in this recipe, we go full-on with the flavor. Using clam juice, Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, lemons, garlic, and onions to create the broth, the flavor from the broth is then infused into the sweet crawfish, tender potatoes, sweet corn, and sausage. Red potatoes work so well here as they pick up so much flavor, but feel free to use any potatoes you have in your pantry. Served with a herby buttery mixture, this recipe is truly meant to be eaten with your hands

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you boil crawfish?

Crawfish are small and only take about five minutes to cook in boiling liquid. For the best texture, this recipe calls for removing the boiling liquid from the heat so that the crawfish can gently poach in the hot liquid. This will keep the crawfish from overcooking and having a chewy texture.
Do you eat the yellow stuff in a crawfish?

The yellow stuff inside of a crawfish is called the hepatopancreas and it is definitely edible. It is actually prized for its flavor.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Crawfish are super seasonal and are easiest to find in February around Mardi Gras, though they’re technically in season from December through July on the Gulf Coast, and July through November in California. They can come pre-seasoned, which is fine, but if you can find fresh, live crawfish, that is the way to go.

Make ahead

The butter mixture can be made and refrigerated for up to three days. Melt it before using it in the recipe.

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Ingredients

5 quarts (20 cups) water
2 cups dry white wine
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice (such as Bar Harbor)
1 large sweet onion, peeled and quartered, root end intact
1 large garlic head, halved crosswise, plus 2 medium cloves, grated, divided
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 (3-ounce) packages crab, shrimp, and crawfish boil seasoning bags (such as Zatarain’s)
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, plus more to taste
5 fresh bay leaves
1 bunch thyme sprigs (about 15 sprigs), tied with twine
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice, plus 2 medium lemons, quartered, divided
5 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 pounds small red potatoes
2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 ears fresh yellow corn, each cut crosswise into thirds
5 pounds fresh or frozen crawfish
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal), plus more to taste
2 teaspoons garlic-and-herb seasoning

Directions

Combine water, wine, clam juice, onion, garlic head halves, brown sugar, seasoning bags, Old Bay seasoning, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, quartered lemons, and 5 tablespoons of the salt in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a steady boil. Let boil, undisturbed, 10 minutes.
Add potatoes, and cook, uncovered, until almost tender but not soft enough to pierce to the center with a fork, about 12 minutes. Add sausage, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add corn and crawfish, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand until crawfish are bright red and well seasoned, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter, hot sauce, garlic-and-herb seasoning, grated garlic, lemon zest and juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pour half of the butter mixture into a very large bowl, and reserve the remaining butter mixture for serving.
Once crawfish have been sitting in seasoned water for 10 minutes, remove crawfish, potatoes, sausage, corn, and onion with a large slotted spoon or spider, and place directly into the bowl with the melted butter mixture. Toss to coat well. Discard seasoning packets, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, lemon quarters, and garlic head halves.
Scatter crawfish, sausage, and vegetables onto a large platter, and season generously with additional Old Bay seasoning. Serve immediately with reserved butter mixture.