CRAWFISH BOIL

Crawfish Boil image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

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10 pounds live crawfish (18/22 pp size)
2 cups kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds crab and crawfish boil seasoning, such as Zatarain's
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, sliced into 2-inch pieces
4 ears corn, broken into 3-inch pieces
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
3 lemons, juiced, rinds reserved
2 heads garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 fresh bay leaves
3 pounds small red potatoes
6 to 8 pounds ice cubes
Seafood boil seasoning, such as Old Bay, for serving

Steps:

Place the crawfish in a large cooler, cover with cold water and add 1 cup of the salt. Allow the crawfish to purge in the salted water for 5 to 10 minutes. (This Southern tradition is said to remove mud and impurities before cooking.) Strain the crawfish and set aside.
Fill a 42-quart stockpot fitted with a boil basket halfway with water. Add the crab and crawfish boil seasoning and remaining cup kosher salt. Then add the sausage, corn, onions, lemon juice and rinds, garlic, butter, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully add the crawfish to the stockpot and cook until they're bright red, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and add the ice to the stockpot to halt the cooking. Allow the crawfish and other ingredients to sit in the iced water for 25 to 30 minutes (the longer the crawfish sit, the more flavorful they become).
Pull the crawfish, sausage and vegetables from the water using the boil basket. Serve over newspaper spread out on a table and sprinkle with seafood boil seasoning.