We’ve all seen terrible attempts of gumbo by the Food Network, Disney, and others… Now, the latest trend is awful attempts at boiling crawfish. (includes one NSFW word)
Nobody boils crawfish like a Cajun and Wayne Haydin (originally from New Orleans) was the latest to spot another fraud… on THE COOKING CHANNEL!!! Listen to Wayne call them out on their mistakes!
While a few details differ from person to person….seasoning, soak time, etc, we found a great ‘local’ cajun recipe from cajuncrawfish.com
DIRECTIONS (BEER DRINKING OPTIONAL)
Before you cook them. Rinse them. We recommend that you rinse your crawfish with plain water before cooking. Rinse them until draining water is clear.
Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil.
While you wait for water to boil, rinse the crawfish with fresh cool water until draining water is clear. You do not need to “purge” them with salt. Rinsing will do just fine.
Drink another beer. Give one to a friend.
Add about 1 lb of Fruge’s Original Seafood Boil to water. Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so.
Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer.
Drop in all 8 onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint: Do not overcook potatoes, slightly undercook them because they will continue to steam and cook in the ice chest. You don’t want to end up with mashed potatoes.)
When the potatoes are almost done, add the corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place the vegetables in a small clean ice chest . Time to drink another beer.
Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 25 oz. Save about 1 lb of spice for later.) Take the lemons (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons to the water. When the water comes to a boil, place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful – it’s very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer.
When the water comes back to a rolling boil – keep a very close eye on this part (time it) – let it boil for 2 minutes and turn off the fire. Let the crawfish soak for a few minutes and then remove. Hint: Kill the boil by adding cold water or a bag of ice. Then let the crawfish soak. Most of the crawfish will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
Remove the Crawfish from the pot and pour into an ice chest while your friend sprinkles the remaining seasoning. Mix this well and let steam for 5 minutes. Use more or less spice to your taste.
You can dump everything on newspaper on a table or serve it out of the ice chest. Food stays hot in the chest… your choice.
Now it’s time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish. At least they won’t starve.
