photo by scmikeburton
When the weather starts to turn warm in the south, it's time for Crawfish. By the time the heat of summer starts killing the grass, the crawfish will be long gone. That means that every year in Texas and Louisiana (and I'm sure elsewhere) crawfish boils appear. Some are huge social events put on in small towns by the Elks or Optimists. One of my favorites is in the back of a bar. And every year, sometimes with not enough planning, I have a backyard boil.
Our boil is a simple affair - a batch of hungry friends, a large tub of ice and beer and a couple bags of live crawfish. In Austin you order them mid-week and they come in on a refrigerated truck in time for the weekend.
Set up is easy - its outside. Situated well away from tables covered in newspaper, definitely in the shade, you keep the crawfish and the boil. Crawfish boils can a messy affair with a large amount of garbage. The boil should last all afternoon. Anyone getting restless should visit the beer tub. In fact, everyone should visit the beer tub - this is not something to be rushed.
The equipment should explain why the boil doesn't get near the tables - I use a propane burner, an 8-10 gallon pot and for the first time this year, a strainer
. The ingredients may seem a little strange if you've never been invited to a boil, but they work. Be careful with the spices, but you can change out everything else at will.
Crawfish Boil
3 lbs Jalapeno sausage, cut into bite size pieces
10 cobs of corn, cut in halves or thirds
5 lbs of new potatoes
2 lbs of salt
6 lemons
4 heads of garlic
6 crab boil bags
2 crab boils -powder
Lots of cayenne (Iuse an entire jar)
70 lbs of live crawfish
The night before the boil, divide the sausage, corn, potatoes and whatever else you've added, into8-10 portions. Either bag or bowl them. You're going to put one portion in each pot.
The day of the boil, fill the pot 2/3 with water. Add 3 boil bags, 1 powder boil, 6 lemon halves, 2 garlic heads and 1 lb of salt. The cayenne is up to you, I suggest you start slow. The salt is key - a whole pound.
Fill a tub or cooler with crawfish and rinse like crazy.
Each of the boils works the same way -
- Bring the boil, well, to a boil.
- Put a portion of extras in the strainer.
- Pull the live crawfish out of the cooler and into the strainer. Only use the live ones. This is where you will appreciate a good source of crawfish.
- Submerge the strainer in the boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Let the whole thing sit for 15 minutes.
- Pull the strainer and give it all to your guests.
After 4-5 boils start throwing in more of the boils and seasonings. Plan on adding water throughout the day. The goal is to be left with nothing, so try to use everything up.