A crawfish boil is a Cajun tradition mostly seen in Louisiana and Texas. It is a social gathering and an elaborate meal that above all else is not to be rushed. If you’ve ever been to one you know how much fun and messy it can get. That’s why we recommend applying a layer of Workman’s Friend Skin Barrier Cream before you start. Removing that infamous smell and messy clean-up while handling crawfish will be a lot easier thanks to our cream. In the meantime, here are a few tips and tricks for this year’s boil.
Related: How to Successfully Work in a Restaurant Kitchen
Equipment
The equipment needed for a crawfish boil is usually fairly standard. The following is a brief list.
- Large boiling pot with lid
- Wire basket to insert into pot
- Outdoor propane cooker or crawfish cooking stand
- Full propane tank
- Large tub or ice chest
- Folding tables and chairs
- Oversized stirring spoon or paddle
- Plastic serving trays or metal platters
- Newspaper
- Lots of paper towels
- Tube of Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream
There are many types of upgrades that you can purchase. For instance, some stores sell “camp out” tables which are designed for crawfish boils in mind. They include two paper towel holders on the table, a trash bag ring, and a center portion of the table designed to hold crawfish remains.
Ingredients
Crawfish are bought alive and usually come in a large mesh sack of about 35-50 pounds in weight. Each person typically can eat about 3-6 pounds of boiled crawfish. It is recommended to buy them the day that you’re planning to eat them so they are cooked alive and fresh. Usually a bag of crawfish is divided into equal amounts and cooked separately. This helps keep a uniform ratio of water, to spices, to crawfish. If not some crawfish might taste spicier than others.
Using a pot and accompanying basket of about 40 quarts you can cook an average of 14-15 pounds of fish. The following is a brief list of the other ingredients needed for a successful boil.
- 3 boxes of salt
- 10 bags of (3oz) commercial crawfish, shrimp and crab boil seasoning
- 8 tables spoons of red cayenne pepper
- 6 tablespoons of black pepper
- 8 lemons
- 12 ears of corn
- 12 large or 24 small potatoes (your preference)
- 4 white onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- Cocktail sauce for dipping the boiled crawfish tails
Before touching a bag of crawfish, apply a layer of Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream to your hands. It will make removing the smell and mess at the end much easier.
Cooking
If somehow you’ve forgotten to apply your Workman’s Friend barrier skin cream, now’s the time to do it. Then begin the cooking process by seasoning your water. This means adding the following
- box of salt
- 5 bags of your commercial seasoning
- 4 tablespoons of red and 3 tablespoons of black pepper
- 4 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 white onions.
Once the water in your pot is boiling, add the potatoes. Return the water to a boil, and add corn, and the first of the two batches of crawfish. When the water has returned to a boil a second time, leave it there for 5 minutes. Turn off your propane burner and let your crawfish, potatoes and corn sit in the water for 15 minutes to sufficiently soak up the spices.
Purging or Rinsing
Pull the basket of cooked crawfish out of the pot and rinse them with freshwater (i.e. a garden hose will suffice). Other aficionados swear by putting their fish in an empty ice chest, rinsing them twice with water and then adding water and a box of salt. They let this mix sit for 10 minutes and rinse crawfish thoroughly. You can either serve the crawfish out of the ice chest that way they’ll stay warm, or dump them onto a large folding table lined with newspaper (a great way to soak up the mess and dispose of it afterward).
Don’t forget to apply another layer of Workman’s Friend barrier skin cream before digging into those crawfish, things are about to get messy.
Crawfish Traditions
Whether you’re new to the crawfish boil or you’ve been attending them for many years, they are a treasured Cajun tradition, celebrating a love of food and the importance of family. So if you receive an invite to one this season remember to apply your Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream. Once that’s done dig in and get messy. Our cream will help you have a much easier clean up after.
Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream is light-weight and odorless product. Apply a dime-sized portion of our non-greasy, formula on each hand. Then rub them together to ensure the cream has been properly absorbed.