‘Suck the Head – Pinch the Tail’ Everything You Need to Know About Crawfish
Crawdads, they are delicious little lobsters. But in other parts of our great country they are called crayfish, crawfish, mudbugs or yabbies.
Regardless of the name they are fresh water crustaceans that breathe through feather-like gills and live in bodies of water that don't freeze.
These little buggers are hard work for a small amount of meat. At a crawfish boil the entire body is served but you just want to go after the tail. Some die hard mudbug fans actually suck the head so they can enjoy the seasonings and flavors that were boiled inside the little critter. (Delicious details after the jump.)
You could drive to your local crawfish stand but why not save some money and do it yourself? Crawfish boils are a great excuse to get together with friends and have a couple cold ones. This recipe serves 10 so go ahead and text everyone to celebrate this beautiful weather we are having in East Texas.
Louisiana Crawfish Boil
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic, unpeeled
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 (3 ounce) packages dry crab boil
- 1 tablespoon liquid shrimp and crab boil seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large oranges, halved
- 3 large lemons, halved
- 2 large whole artichokes
- 15 red potatoes, washed
- 30 pieces baby corn
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 (16 ounce) packages mushrooms, cleaned
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 2 (16 ounce) packages smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 4 pounds live crawfish, rinsed
Directions
- Fit a large (5 gallon) pot with a strainer insert, and fill half full with water. Add the garlic, bay leaves, dry and liquid crab boil seasonings, salt, pepper, oranges, lemons, artichokes, and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the corn, onions, mushrooms, and green beans; cook 15 minutes more. Stir in the sausage; cook 5 minutes more. Add the crawfish, return mixture to boil, then simmer until the crawfish shells turn bright red and the tails pull out easily, about 5 minutes. Test for doneness by peeling a crawfish. Be sure not to overcook, or crawfish will become tough.
- Remove strainer basket from the pot and drain. Serve crawfish hot, Louisiana-style, spread over a picnic table covered with newspapers.
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