Name: Old-Fashioned Crawfish Boil
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 gallon water; 2 3-ounce packages crab boil; 1/4 cup salt; 1/4 cup hot sauce; 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes; 6 small onions, peeled; 4 - 6 ears corn, halved; 1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped; 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped; 1 head garlic, halved; 3 large lemons, halved; 5 pounds live crawfish, rinsed and purged in salt water

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Boiling crawfish is an art — something that quickly becomes apparent to anyone who's watched a cook prepare the cooking liquid. This recipe has been modified for ease of preparation at home. Most Cajuns have a strong opinion about what should or should not go into the pot. Use this recipe as a guide and modify it to your own tastes — more vegetables or less, spicier or not. And remember, when live crawfish in the shell are not in season, you may simply substitute shrimp.

Recipe notes

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