How to Boil Crawfish

A crawfish is a pretty interesting food ingredient. It is a freshwater shellfish that has its roots firmly planted in Louisiana. It is considered a southern delicacy that people from all over the United States and the world had come to love.

All About Crawfish

If you’ve heard about crawfish for the first time, you must be missing a good part of this life.

Crawfish is considered a delicacy not just in Louisiana but in other parts of the country that has discovered its unique flavor. It is a shellfish that looks more like a lobster but is fairly smaller so you would be able to tell the difference.

In the south, crawfish are also known as mudbugs as they usually thrive in mud of freshwater swamps. This unique shellfish is now commercially raised and traded. Understandably, it is a blooming industry in Louisiana.

Historically, crawfish is considered a descendant of the Maine lobster. It has been told that the lobsters yearned for the Cajuns so much that they journeyed over land and sea to find them. Through the long journey, they shrunk in size incredibly until they look no longer like lobsters anymore.

Cooking Crawfish

Crawfish is considered a staple in Louisiana dining tables. They are usually boiled along with some vegetables (potatoes and corn, to be exact) and served with tasty drinks or even alcohol. No matter how you want your crawfish to be, it is important that you know the right way to prepare them and cook them to be able to get the most of your meal.

Before cooking, you must pour in some effort preparing your crawfish. You need to purge it and clean it thoroughly, making sure that you are able to wash away all the dirt.

Purging crawfish is all about preparing a big container. You will pour the crawfish, add in salt and enough water to cover the amount of shellfish you have. You will mix it gently with a paddle and then, rinse. Remember that you need to keep the crawfish alive before throwing them onto the boiling pot of water so you should not add too much salt or purge them too long. You must also remember to remove the dead crawfish (the ones that float to the top) from the batch before cooking it.

After purging, you will need to rinse off the water until you see that it is clear because crawfish need air. That is, if you want to keep them alive prior to cooking. It is important that you keep them in a shaded area while you are preparing to boil.

Basically, how to boil crawfish is all about having the right equipments and knowledge. You need a large boiling pot to cook a good bunch of crawfish at a time. Ideally, you need to load up on at least 10 to 15 pounds of crawfish in a pot. That’s because an average crawfish eater would consume about 2 to 3 pounds of crawfish. That means, you need to prepare at least 15 pounds at a time for 5 person at the dining table. Heavy crawfish eaters can consume up to 7 pounds. That’s why you need to make allowances.

You will need to season your water right. There are crawfish seasoning, also known as crab boil seasoning, available. You may use that to season your water along with some lemon.

Bring the seasoned and spiced water to a rolling boil. Next up, you will need a huge strainer or wire basket that will carry your potatoes, mushroom, corn, sausage, onions, and whatever else you may want to add to your crawfish. Cook them for 10 minutes until the potatoes become tender.

When the vegetables and other meats are cooked, it is time to put in the crawfish onto the wire basket. Put it onto the water as it continues into a rolling boil. Do not lower the heat and maintain the rolling boil for five minutes while the crawfish is soaked. After five minutes, turn the burner off but do not take out the wire basket with your dish yet. Allow it to soak for 20 to 30 more minutes, after which you are ready to drain and serve.

In the south, crawfish is served in a long dining table covered in thick layers of newspaper. All the content of the wire basket is spilled onto the middle, ready for everyone to feast on.

To eat your crawfish, you must hold it on both sides of the joint and tail and then gently twist it and snap.

Crawfish is best enjoyed as a feast outdoor while it is steaming hot. It is a complete meal on its own, with meats and vegetables added. All that you need to have along is a cold beer or any other tasty beverage that will best complement the unique flavor of this delicacy.