Best Steamed Crawdads Recipes

INSTANT POT® LIVE CRAWFISH BOIL FOR FOUR

Instant Pot® Live Crawfish Boil for Four image

Every spring I do a crawfish boil and every year I think there has got to be an easier way. It takes 30 minutes to get the stockpot full of water to come to a boil and then the crawfish require 30 minutes of soaking, which results in overcooked potatoes and corn. This year I was determined to simplify the process and set out looking for an Instant Pot® method online. There were plenty of recipes that called for frozen crawfish but I couldn't find one single one that used live crawfish. Challenge accepted!

Provided by Soup Loving Nicole

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Sausage

Time 1h20m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 tablespoons concentrated liquid shrimp and crab boil (such as Zatarain's®)
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
2 pounds live crawfish, rinsed
1 pound bite-sized red potatoes (such as Ruby Sensations®)
3 ears corn, shucked and cut into thirds, or more to taste
1 (12 ounce) package andouille sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
2 cups water

Steps:

Combine water, dry crab boil, and seafood seasoning in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Add live crawfish. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 0 minutes. Allow 15 minutes for pressure to build.
Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour crawfish and the liquid into a large bowl and let sit for 30 minutes to soak while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Add potatoes, corn, andouille sausage, and 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning to the pot. Pour in water and stir until evenly combined. Close and lock the lid.
Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 5 minutes. Allow 15 minutes for pressure to build.
Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 2 minutes. Divide the mixture between 4 plates and serve with crawfish.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 570.5 calories, Carbohydrate 34.4 g, Cholesterol 291.6 mg, Fat 27.7 g, Fiber 4.9 g, Protein 45.8 g, SaturatedFat 8.8 g, Sodium 5130.6 mg, Sugar 3.4 g

CRAWFISH BOIL

Crawfish Boil image

Provided by Alton Brown

Categories main-dish

Time 1h53m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons whole allspice
5 gallons water
1 pound kosher salt
4 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
6 bay leaves, crumbled
10 pounds live crawfish
3 pounds small red potatoes, cut in 1/2, if larger than 2-inches in diameter
8 ears corn, halved
2 heads garlic, unpeeled, but separated
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

Steps:

Place the peppercorns, coriander, clove, and allspice into a spice grinder and grind for 10 to 15 seconds.
Fill a 40-quart pot with 5 gallons of water and add the freshly ground spices, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, dill weed, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, approximately 40 minutes.
Rinse the crawfish thoroughly in the bag in which they arrived to remove excess dirt and mud. Put the crawfish in a large container and fill with cool water. Stir to remove dirt from the crawfish. Transfer small batches of crawfish to a colander and rinse under cool running water. Pick out any debris or dead crawfish. Once all crawfish have been rinsed, discard dirty water, and return the crawfish to the container. Repeat this process 6 to 8 times, or until the water is clear.
Once the seasoned water comes to a boil, add the potatoes, corn, garlic, and sausage. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the crawfish, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain well and serve immediately.