Cooking Crawfish
by Leonce Collins
How to boil crawfish Cajun style!
This will feed 8 people, or three Cajuns.
- Equiment needed: One large
cooking pot with wire basket big enough to hold 25 pounds
of Crawfish. A lid for the pot and a small outdoor propane
cooker, as you will cook this outside.
-
Go buy a six-pack
of cold beer and drink the first one.
-
Then go shopping
for 25# sack of live Crawfish, 3 bags of crab boil, 1 small
bottle of liquid crab boil, 3 round boxes of salt, 1 box square
box of rock salt, 8 small onions, 8 small potatoes and 8 ears
of corn, one fresh garlic, small can of cayenne pepper, 4
lemons, and a box of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning. Now
that you're finished shopping, drink another beer.
-
Now it's time
to go to work cooking the Crawfish! One thing you must always
remember about Crawfish....first separate the live Crawfish
from the Crawfish that won't make it to the pot. Next you
must purge the Crawfish. Get a large tub of water or two large
ice chests. You will use this to purge the crawfish. Place
the box of rock salt in the water. Stir the water with the
salt and then place the Crawfish into the water. Let the Crawfish
purge for 7 minutes. Remove the Crawfish and place in an ice
chest until ready to cook. Time to drink another beer.
-
Fill the pot
with fresh water half full, place on cooker, and start the
fire. Place a box and a half of salt into the water, 1 bag
of crab boil, a half bottle of liquid crab boil, 2 teaspoons
of cayenne pepper and two lemons cut in half--squeeze each
half into the pot and drop the lemon. Separate the garlic
into pods and cut the small ends of each garlic pod, then
drop them into pot. Place lid on pot. Time to drink another
beer.
-
Let the water
come to a boil for two minutes--that way the spices will mix
well. Drop the 8 onions after cutting the ends--yes, drop
the whole onion into the pot--4 minutes later, drop the 8
small potatoes; 4 minutes later, drop the 8 corns. Let it
cook for five minutes. A good way to check for readiness is
to take a fork or sharp knife and stab the potatoes and the
onion. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Lower the fire on
the burner and remove the basket. Place the vegetable in a
small clean ice chest--don't close the lid, just place foil
on top. Place the basket back in the pot. Time to drink another
beer.
-
Turn the heat
up on the burner, place the other two bags of crab boil in
the pot, the rest of the liquid crab boil, and one large heaping
teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Take the rest of the lemons cut
in half, squeeze each half into the pot and drop the lemon.
Place the last two boxes of salt into the water. When the
water comes to a boil, place the Crawfish into the basket
and place lid on top. Time for another beer. When the water
comes back to a boil--you need to watch this part--
let it boil for 4 minutes, turn the fire off, let it simmer
for 3 minutes, and remove.
-
Now get an old
table, and place old newspaper on top. Dump the basket of
Crawfish on top of the newspaper, and sprinkle with Tony Chachere's
creole seasoning. Dump the onions, potatoes, corn and garlic
on top of the Crawfish. Now it's time to really drink beer
and eat. You will love the vegetables, and you can cook them
this way without having to cook Crawfish! Hope you pass a
good time eating the Crawfish!
-
I suggest that
you make a sauce on the side using mayo, tomato ketchup, a
little Worcestershire sauce, and little garlic power. Mix
this to your liking. Use the sauce to dip your peeled Crawfish
into if you desire.
ENJOY
the taste of New Orleans!!
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