Description
Experience the authentic taste of a Cajun seafood feast with this Stovetop Crawfish Boil featuring a flavorful garlic butter sauce. This hearty main course combines tender crawfish, smoked sausage, corn, and baby potatoes, simmered in a spicy seasoned broth, then drizzled with a zesty garlic butter sauce for an irresistible meal perfect for gatherings and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Boil Ingredients
- 4 pounds live crawfish, rinsed and purged
- 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
- 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoned boiling liquid. Fill a large stockpot with enough water to cover the crawfish and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, lemon quarters, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Stir well to infuse the water with spice and aroma.
- Cook the potatoes. Add the halved baby potatoes to the boiling liquid and cook for 10 minutes, allowing them to become tender while absorbing the seasoning flavors.
- Add corn and sausage. Introduce the cut corn and sliced smoked sausage to the pot. Continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until the corn is tender and sausage is heated through.
- Add and cook crawfish. Add the live cleaned crawfish to the pot, stir gently, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the crawfish turn bright red and are fully cooked, ensuring food safety and optimal flavor.
- Prepare garlic butter sauce. While the boil cooks, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.
- Drain and assemble. Once the crawfish are cooked, carefully drain the boiling liquid and transfer all ingredients to a large serving tray or spread over a newspaper-lined table for a traditional crawfish boil presentation.
- Serve with garlic butter. Drizzle the flavorful garlic butter sauce over the crawfish and accompaniments. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and serve hot for an irresistible and festive meal experience.
Notes
- For extra flavor, let the crawfish soak in the seasoned cooking liquid off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes before draining to intensify the taste.
- Adjust the spice level by varying the amount of cayenne pepper and Cajun seasoning according to your heat preference.
- Use unsalted butter to better control salt levels in the dish.
- Ensure crawfish are properly rinsed and purged before cooking to remove impurities.
- This recipe is dairy-free if served without the garlic butter sauce.
