Crawfish Boil

Ingredients

Stock:

• 3 gallons water
• 2/3 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 packages dry crab boil
• 1 cup liquid crab boil
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 2 bay leaves

Crawfish, vegetables, and sausage:

• 12 pounds live crawfish
• 8 new potatoes
• 2 ears of corn, cut into thirds
• 2 artichokes
• 1 foot of andouille sausage, cut into 8 equal links
• 3 lemons, halved
• 2 medium size yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 pound raw peanuts
• 3 whole garlic cloves, split in half
• 1 cup melted butter
• Couple of bottles of Abita Beer or your favorite beer

Directions

For the stock: In a large stock pot with a basket insert on high heat, add the water, salt, and peppercorns. Add the rest of the seasonings, cover and bring up to a boil. When the stock is at a boil, add the potatoes, corn, and artichokes. Cover and bring back to a boil, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the crawfish. Cover the pot and bring back up to a boil, about 5 minutes. Taste the stock for seasoning and adjust if needed. Add the crawfish, cover and turn off the flame. Allow the mixture to steep for 5 to 30 minutes. To assemble, place brown paper bags on the counter, lift the basket out of the stock and drain. Dump the boil directly on the counter. Serve with plenty of melted butter, beer and paper towels.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup