Description
This Stovetop Crawfish Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce is a vibrant and flavorful Cajun classic, combining live crawfish, smoked sausage, potatoes, and corn simmered in a seasoned broth. Finished with a rich garlic butter sauce and brightened by lemon and spices, it offers a festive and hearty seafood feast perfect for gatherings.
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
- 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 boiling broth: Fill a large stockpot with enough water to cover the crawfish and bring it to a boil. Add the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, quartered lemon, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices.
- Cook the potatoes: Add the halved baby potatoes to the boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes until they begin to soften but are not fully tender.
- Add corn and sausage: Add the cut corn and sliced smoked sausage pieces to the pot and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the ingredients to heat through.
- Cook the crawfish: Add the rinsed crawfish to the pot, stir gently to mix, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the crawfish shells turn bright red and they are fully cooked through.
- Make garlic butter sauce: While the boil is cooking, melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.
- Drain and serve: Once the crawfish are cooked, drain the contents of the pot. Transfer everything to a large serving tray or spread out over a newspaper-lined table for a traditional presentation.
- Finish and garnish: Drizzle the garlic butter sauce over the crawfish boil and garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot immediately for best flavor and enjoyment.
Notes
- For extra flavor, allow crawfish to soak in the seasoned cooking liquid off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes before draining.
- Adjust spice levels by modifying the amounts of cayenne pepper and Cajun seasoning according to your taste preference.
- If you prefer a dairy-free option, omit the garlic butter sauce or substitute with a non-dairy alternative.
- Ensure crawfish are purged properly to remove grit and impurities for the best taste and texture.
