Favorite Crawfish Boiling Seasoning
 

I read some threads on here about crawfish boiling and people mentioned their favorite seasonings when boiling.

I know how to boil, just want to hear what your favorite seasoning is.

I normally use Zatarain's granulated seasoning and find it to be a little too salty for me sometimes.

What do you like to use?

I use Louisiana if possible. And if not, I buy Slap Ya Mama.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Swampfire

I prefer the Louisiana brand.

Zatarans tea bag baby.

FontKnows Secret out of Branch,LA

http://www.a2fay.com

I use the liquid and a bag then I add salt to taste.

I find the premixes are a little too salty as well but its all in the amount you use, a shorter soak time reduces how salty they get too.

if you use less mix then they call for and taste it as you go you will find the right amount for your pot and the amount of water you use.

after you get the water tasting right, bring it up to a boil and have at it. just remember the water is going to be stronger seasoning then the flavor that gets inside the bugs so it needs to be strong salty and pepper tasting water for them to come out mildly seasoned just right.

its an art that everyone must find just the right seasonings for their own taste and the soak times that give them a good flavor.

I will say adding corn and sausages and all that ads a flavor to the bugs as the oils come out the meats so I like to pre-cook those separate then add them in during the soak just to get flavored

Cajun land

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I've done it so many different ways, and I don't think I've done it the same more than a few times. But what I've been doing for our pot, is one big bag(2 lbs I think?) and 1 of the small bags(probably 1 lb) then add a little cayenne pepper to give it a little more kick


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Crawfish Town

I use the zatarains and add about 1/4 box of salt, 1/4 jar ok cayman pepper, 1/4 bottle of liquid crab boil, 2 bags of the zatarains boiling bags, 3 large lemons, and some celery salt. Boil from 5 to 7 and soak for 30 then start to taste. Don't take out until the flavor is right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ive been using swamp dust lately and its pretty good. The zatarans pro boil is very good too.

started using tabasco mash. if not i use pro boil. other mixes are just to much salt.

chack bay when I can get it......if not, pro boil and liquid tex joy.....but chack bay is definitely the best I've tasted, just wish they'd put it in bigger bags, it's kinda expensive to season a big pot with all those little bags

Anything that begins with Z

I like the original (orange) Zatarans. Whole can, then add 2 bags of crab boil and 4 lemons cut in half, half a jar of Zatarnas cayanne pepper, and about 1/4 pound of salt. Bring it to a rolling boil and take out the lemmons and crab boil bags. Put in the crawfish and bring to a boil, as soon as it boils turn off the heat and squeeze 4 more lemons, drop in the halves and stir around then put about 3lbs of ice on top. Wait 20 minutes and enjoy.

Each sack after that is where experience kicks in and you have to adjust for the seasoned water.

The lemons help the crawfish peel perfectly and give it a little flavor. Most folks who eat my crawfish rate them in the top tier.

Swamp dust and proboil sometime


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk mmm

That's all I use and I only use 1 bag. Sunday I boiled 40 pounds of crawfish and a bushel of crabs and only used 1 bag. I also had a small bottle of liquid and 1 box of salt.



My SIL bought me a bag of "Cajunland" seasoning mix, when the prices go down I'm going to try that one out.

Swampdust has been my "go to" for a couple of years now

if yall are going to do 2 boils from the same pot and water how much extra seasoning do yall add for the 2nd boil? For example, you use 8 cups of seasoning for the first boil and then add another 4 cups for the 2nd boil to get it back to where you like it?

I'm with these guys.... Swamp dust is where it's at.

it doesnt really matter what you put in the pot during boil, it is all about the seasoning in the ice chest after in my opinion...

i have steamed crawfish in few inches of water in pot with no seasoning and then seasoned in ice chest after cooked, and they had just as much taste, seasoning, juice than if i would have soaked them for however long...

now i just use powder seasoning, little in the water during the boil but most of it goes on them in ice chest after they boil, then shake em up real good, maybe squirt some lemon juice on top.. voila!

Cajun Land

TARGILS out of Opelousas, the Shrimp and Crab blend! I've catered and also ran a drive-thru for crawfish, we use this blend because it's really FINE which will allow the crawfish to absorb maximum flavor in my opinion. Having a bunch of seasoning on the outside of the crawfish isn't enjoyable to me, I want the flavor in them.

i agree with seasoning being done in the ice chest, we just put liquid boil in the pot, then when we dump into ice-chest, butter, lemon juice, seasoning mentioned above, shake/mix them like crazy, drain juice and run the juice back over them a few times.... then enjoy!

I normally drink too much to remember what I put in it!!

for the second batch i'll add 1/4 of what was in the first batch to bring it back to where it should get the same flavor, and if I have a third batch i'll add 10% of what I added for the first batch because you are losing water as you go so its slightly more concentrated mixture of seasoning to water.

the best way to tell is dip some out and let cool then taste it and see.

the seasoning is a powerful thing to taste on its own like that but you need to get used to how strong it needs to be to impart the right flavors inside the shells. otherwise your just guessing and the second or third batches can be much different seasoned.

all tht being said there are 1000 different ways for 1000 different cooks but you get the general idea and that's why I gave percentages

[QUOTE=cmac23;689205]FontKnows Secret out of Branch,LA

http://www.a2fay.com[/QUOTE

CMac 23 is on to something here. Great tasting mix and is not too salty. Cooking a few sacks this weekend. Unless the wind blows out my fire.

[quote=BArmand;689438]
Any ideas what stores carry it ?

Old fashion way; box of salt, bottle of red pepper, cubed lemons and a couple of tablespoons of liquid Z crab. Boil them. Keep it simple to get the flavor of the crawfish.

Gotcha, thanks. I've always had the luxury of boiling for big parties on a large commercial setup, but I have an upcoming event where I'm going to have to do multiple boils in multiple pots.

Hate eating crawfish that have been seasoned in chest.

Same here. Just end up with burning lips and fingers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Louisiana Crawfish Time. You can get it at there Verot location or at NuNu's in Youngsville. T

not if it is done right

Me too! Always seem dry, hands catch on fire, and some are bland in my opinion.

I need to try Targil. Anyone else tried it?

if you end up with burning lips and fingers because they were seasoned in the ice chest, whoever did it, sucks!


you wont see/feel ANY seasoning on the outside of the crawfish if i season them in the ice chest, that i can guarantee along with they will NOT be bland. SOMEONE is doing a terrible job which gave y'all an awesome experience, which is why the blend i said we use is the FINEST(referring to grain) you can get.

y'all tempting me to buy a few sacks and put on a show lol

Dare you!!

Double dare

Salty Cajun crawfish boil sponsored by R-T-Go


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What is the difference between Swamp Dust and Swamp Fire? Just amount of cayenne?

I can agree to this because I've had some very good, dusted crawfish. Very rarely though.

Too many people slather everything with so much seasoning that you can't taste what you're eating, yet everyone seems to enjoy it. I don't get it.

Good dusted crawfish will not be covered in granules, the fine/light dusting breaks down and leave steamy, juicy, tasty goodness

My Moms side of the family (from Back Vacherie) use to season them in an ice chest. I never really cared for them like that.

I'd like to try the method of steaming in plain water them and dropping them into another pot with the seasoning in it.

I've done it this way and they come out good! The key is to get the seasoning pot to a certain temperature. Currently can't remember what temperature that is. But at this certain temperature they achieve maximum weight retention and soak in the most seasoning. It's just more work than I wanna do when boiling crawfish. lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Crawfish that have been soaked in good seasoned water are by far better than any in a ice chest I ever ate. Not saying the ones you all cook are not good because I have never had them. Ate a few in my day. Just my opinion, but seems to be the opinion of many I talk too.

Also seen them over cooked in a closed ice chest several times. Nothing worse than overcooked crawfish.

I seen a youtube video from a guy who competed in 60 team crawfish cookoff and cam out 4th and the steam and soak method is what he used. He said the pot with the seasoned water has to be between 140 and 145 degrees.

I can't get on youtube here but look for frog bones crawfish boil if this link doesnt work.....

[quote=meaux fishing;689447]Go to a2fay.com for it. Shipped to front door.

Liquid boil, salt, butter, onions, 10 lg lemons quarters, bring to boil, add 1 sack (35lbs) crawdads, allow to come back to boil, time 4 minutes, cut heat & set 10 minutes. Put in chest and dust with fine powder season, not much. Plenty salt in boiling water, seasoned hot. Dey good sha!

Haven't heard that in about 12 years. Worked in Taft for a few years. Seemed like there was always something going on "back Vacherie"

I boil in seasoned water, bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Cut fire off and bring temp down with half bag ice(8lb bag) leave lid off let soak while stirring once in a while for 10 or 12 minutes. The half bag of ice doesn't add much water, as far as worring about filling the pot or using to much seasoning. If you are in a spot were you can using a "hose pipe" as you say in Vacherie, with no spray nozzle can cool the pot enough to soak them. Just run the water on the out side of the pot til it stops steaming and you can touch the pot. I have done it both ways. No need for dusting cooking this way.