Crawfish Boil
A crawfish boil may be common place in Louisiana but here in Alberta it is a very special treat. Anytime I see live crawfish at a market I snap them up and take them home for an impromptu boil. The aroma of this dish cooking on the stove takes me back to Louisiana and walking the streets of New Orleans. Fresh, live crawfish is best, so that you can clean and filter them properly (see tip below). If you buy frozen be sure that the package states that they were purged commercially before freezing. If fresh crawfish isn’t available shrimp and/or crab make a very good substitute.

We love to enjoy this delicious and hearty meal with friends and a glass of fruity white wine.

Ingredients
6 litres of water
10 bay leaves
1 cup salt
3/4 cup ground red pepper
1/4 cup whole allspice
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dill seeds
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 celery ribs, quartered
3 medium-size onions, halved
3 garlic bulbs, halved crosswise
About 12 baby potatoes
4 to 5 ears of corn on the cob, chopped into 3 to 4 pieces depending on size
5 pounds of crawfish

Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add all of the ingredients except the crawfish to the water. Return to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add crawfish. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove stockpot from heat; let stand 30 minutes. For spicier crawfish and vegetables, let stand 45 minutes. Drain and pour everything onto large platters or newspaper. Serve with lemon wedges and hot butter.

Source: adapted from Southern Living magazine, April 2001

Tip: Crawfish live at the bottom of muddy rivers and are also known as ‘mud bugs’. If you have ever tasted crawfish that haven’t been properly cleaned and purged you know exactly why! To get that muddy taste out before cooking place your live crawfish in a large bucket, tub or cooler of fresh water. Make sure that the crawfish are fully covered by the water. You can stir them to remove loose dirt and grime. Remove any dead crawfish that float to the surface. After about 5 to 10 minutes pour out the water and refresh with clean fresh water, let sit for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat the process 3 to 4 times, until the water runs clear. Cook immediately after finishing this process. The crawfish will have had a chance to filter the fresh water through their systems and will taste much better when cooked.

*Keep an eye on the container while you are completing this process. Your meal is not above trying to escape!

Enjoy!