Ingredients:

  • 10 lbs live crawfish, purged
  • 2 gallons water
  • 16 oz Zatarain’s Dry Crawfish Boil
  • 8 oz Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil
  • 3 large white onions, halved
  • 4 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
  • 6 lemons, halved
  • 4 navel oranges, halved
  • 1 lb red potatoes, small
  • 4 ears of corn, halved
  • 2 lbs unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup minced garlic
  • 0.25 cup lemongrass, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 0.5 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4 tbsp Cajun seasoning, low sodium
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Place your 10 lbs of live crawfish in a large tub and cover with cool water. Stir them gently for 5 minutes, then drain. Repeat this 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear. Note: This removes the mud taste and any debris from the shells.
  2. Fill your 30 quart pot with 2 gallons of water. Add 16 oz dry boil, 8 oz liquid boil, halved onions, 4 heads of garlic, and the halved lemons and oranges. Squeeze the citrus juice into the water before dropping the rinds in. Bring this to a rolling boil for 15 minutes until the air smells intensely spicy and fragrant.
  3. Add the 1 lb red potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the 4 halved ears of corn and the 10 lbs of purged crawfish. Cover the pot and bring back to a boil. Once it reaches a boil again, cook for exactly 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let everything soak for 15 to 20 minutes until the crawfish sink to the bottom. Note: Sinking is the visual cue that they have absorbed the seasoned liquid.
  4. While the crawfish soak, melt 2 lbs unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add 0.5 cup minced garlic, 0.25 cup lemongrass, and 2 tbsp grated ginger. Sauté for 4 minutes until the garlic is soft and golden but not brown.
  5. Whisk in 0.5 cup orange juice, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp low sodium Cajun seasoning, and 2 tbsp sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
  6. Drain the crawfish, potatoes, and corn, then transfer them to a large insulated cooler or oversized bowl.
  7. Pour the hot garlic butter sauce over the seafood. Close the lid of the cooler and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to coat every single shell. Sprinkle with 0.5 cup fresh cilantro and serve immediately on a newspaper lined table.