Crawfish Boil

Directions

1. 1
   Fill a washtub or ice chest with water and 2 cups of the salt, stir, and place the crawfish in the mix.
2. 2
   As they swim around, the salt will cause them to purge themselves of impurities and cleanse their outer shells.
3. 3
   (Let them purge for 30 to 40 minutes; they need to stay alive until you're ready to cook them.)
4. 4
   While that's happening, pour the 12 gallons of water into a 20-gallon pot.
5. 5
   Add the remaining salt, the seasoning, cayenne pepper, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and lemons.
6. 6
   Boil for 15 minutes.
7. 7
   In a basket insert, place half the garlic, half the onions, and half the potatoes.
8. 8
   Place the basket in the water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
9. 9
   Add half the corn and return the water to a boil.
10. 10
    Drain the crawfish from their purging water, add half of them to the basket, and bring to a rolling boil.
11. 11
    Turn off the heat and let soak for 10 minutes.
12. 12
    Pull out the basket, drain, and dump the basket's contents onto a newspaper-lined table.
13. 13
    Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
14. 14
    Serve crawfish, corn, onions, and garlic to each person.
15. 15
    Note: You certainly can boil a small amount of crawfish in a smaller vessel, do it indoors, and serve it to a smaller gathering, but in New Orleans, this is for an outdoor bash.
16. 16
    Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a blender, food processor, or mixing bowl, and pour the mixture into a large glass or plastic jar.
17. 17
    Seal it so that it's airtight.
18. 18
    It will keep indefinitely.
19. 19
    Yield: about 2 cups