The single-pot boiling method is comprised of three basic steps that, if followed, will result in a tasty batch of crawfish.
- Wash your crawfish
- Boil your crawfish
- Soak your crawfish.
To wash your crawfish, simply place them into a cooler or tub and run clean hose water into the cooler. The first fill of water will look murky and muddy. Empty this and repeat the process as many times as possible until your water runs clear. Once the water is clear, empty your cooler of all water. Your crawfish are now ready to boil.
Before boiling your crawfish, add your favorite seasonings, along with onions, sausage, garlic, celery, potatoes, and lemon to the pot. This is where you can really personalize the boil and make it your own. Bring the seasoned water up to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Next, add the washed crawfish to your pot. The water temp will drop, but when it comes back to a boil, start a timer for 3 minutes and stir while it boils. For large select crawfish, 3 minutes is all you need. But for smaller crawfish, you might only need 1 to 2 minutes. After the required cooking time, shut off the heat. Now your crawfish is ready to soak.
There are different ideas around the soak, but I’m showing the ice method in this video. After your crawfish have boiled, add a bag of ice to your pot along with frozen corn. I soak my crawfish for 30 minutes in the seasoned water. You’ll notice that as you soak, your crawfish sink. This indicates that the crawfish heads are soaking up the seasoned water. The longer you soak your crawfish, the spicier and juicier they get. Soaking crawfish any longer than 45 minutes may result in mushy crawfish as the salt can start to deteriorate the protein in the tails. Obviously, don’t do this! A 30-minute soak with a bit of ice will surely be enough to have you and your guests reaching for a cold beer to wash it all down.
