SMOKEHOWZE CRAWFISH BOIL RECIPE & TIMEPLAN APRIL 2014

COOKING CRAWFISH

Allow 2.5 - 3 lbs live crawfish per normal person … 5-6 lbs per person if from Louisiana … 6- 8 lbs if serious Cajun eater

Large Pot (80 -100 qts) with removable perforated basket • 30 - 40 lbs crayfish (one sack) • 7 - 8 gal water = 32 qts

TO THE BOIL WATER – ADD FOR SEASONING

• 2 boxes for pot + 1 box each 4 lbs of crawfish 3oz Boxes of Boil in Bag Crab Boil Seasoning (REX, Zatarain’s, Louisiana Fish Fry Brand) • 1 or 2 Box Table Salt (no iodine) 1 lb 10 oz size • 1/4 cup Tabasco (optional for extra heat) -- or can add ground cayenne pepper • 2 Onions cut into halves • 2 whole head of garlic (more if you want garlic to eat) • 5 Cut lemons squeezed in to pot and then added • 6 Bayleaf

NOTE:

If the seasoning is the kind as just powder in large bag or plastic jug that is to be dumped into pot it probably already has salt pe measured, so eliminate the additional salt and follow instructions on bag/jug.

The boil water should be heavily seasoned and quite spicy – the crawfish and other fixins will not be as spicy as the water.

We prefer them with a well rounded season & favor profile with moderate pepper heat but not pepper heat to the point where the pepper overrides the crawfish flavor.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR THE POT TO COOK:

• ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE or SMOKED SAUSAGE IN CASING – hot version preferred • RED POTATOES, • MUSHROOMS, • CORN ON COB APPROXIMATE TIMINGS 35 lbs crawfish - 8 gallons water, 55,000 BTU burner

• INITIAL HEAT TO POT OF WATER (1/2 season mix) 12:30 PM • POT NOW AT THE FIRST BOIL (ABOUT 30-40 MINS to get there) 13:10

• START PURGE CRAWFISH (that is rinse them well in fresh water.. 13:10

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SMOKEHOWZE CRAWFISH BOIL RECIPE & TIMEPLAN APRIL 2014

• POTATOES & SAUSAGE COOK (BOIL FOR 15/20 MINS) 13:10 in pot • REMOVE POTATOES & SAUSAGE & RETURN POT TO VIGOROUS BOIL 13:30 remove

• ADD REST OF SEASON MIX 13:35 pot boiling again • CRAWFISH IN THE POT 13:35 dump in live crawfish

• CRAWFISH & POT NOW BACK AT THE BOIL (20-30 MINS) 14:00 monitor for when they boil again

• BOIL ( as soon as see good boil start timing -7 MINUTES – o no longer… otherwise will overcook) 14:07 cut the fire NOW (after 7 mins)

• FROZEN CORN + MUSHROOMS AND/OR ICE & SOAK (~30 MINS) 14:07 add ice and frozen corn

• ADD POTATOES AND SAUSAGE TO REWARM 14:35 crawfish been soaking ~30 mins • SOAK ADD’L (20-25 MINS) --- AS NEEDED –TASTE OFTEN 15:00 soak as needed for flavor

• REMOVE FROM POT AND DRAIN… o PUT IN NEWSPAPER LINED ICE CHEST 15:00 • DUMP SOME ON TABLE ….. EAT!

The ice (10 lbs for a 35 lb boil) after the 7 minute boil is critical to reduce the temperature below boiling and to stop the cooking process. That is also why I use the frozen corn on the cob. Also spray with cold water on outside of pot using hose to get additional cooling.

Other:

• Boiling Pot Size - Allow around 2 - 2.5 quarts pot capacity for the cooking pot with basket insert per 1 lb of live crawfish to allow for headroom plus some of the additional fixins in the pot. Keep in mind that the size needed will vary based on the amount of other items you are cooking in the pot. • For a second batch – reuse boiling water – refresh with ½ box salt and a few more crab boil bags. • Sausage Cooking: For some folks, they prefer NOT to cook the sausage before or with the crawfish as they do not like any of the sausage oils/fat on the crawfish. One can cook the sausage after removing the crawfish especially if the sausage has been pre-cooked so it only really needs to be in the boil long enough to heat well and take up the flavor. (Note – the uncooked sausage I use I know does not release an excessive amount of fat when I boil it thus I add it in the boil early on.) I have has some brands that I will indeed cook afterwards/separate. • Timelime: You can compress the time line by cooking the potatoes and sausage (if not pre-cooked variety) 5 minutes or so ahead of starting the crawfish in the pot and do it as a simultaneous cook. I cook mine potatoes and the raw sausage ahead as often we like to snack on the potatoes and sausage as appetizers. Also I cook around 5 lbs of potatoes and 4 lbs of sausage – and use any leftovers for spicy potato salad and the sausage for breakfast. • Wind: Shield burner and pot from the wind, else the heat will not go into the pot and it will all take longer. • Leftovers: Put only a couple of layers on a plate. Heat in microwave on high 2 minutes…enjoy.. It is almost like they came out the pot.

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