For the inexperienced or new crawfish lover, the idea of having a cajun crawfish boil may feel daunting. If you are looking to get live crawfish shipped to door and then invite your friends to enjoy the meal like a true Louisianan, there are certain tips that you should follow for the boil.
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Find a good seafood source.
Making sure that you select the best vendor should never be underestimated. You will want to make sure that the vendor can deliver the crawfish on the morning of the boil. Ideally, schedule your boil for the peak season in March or April, but they are also often scheduled in May for Memorial Day. Her are some we recommend:
| Company | Min. Order | Price/lb (Jumbo) | Shipping | Go To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Crab Place | 3 lbs | $11.00 | $29.25 | |
| Cameron’s Seafood | 5 lbs (cooked) | $11.99 | $39.99 |
Determine the amount.
You will want at least 3 pounds of live crawfish shipped to your door for each person in attendance. If you are not sure how to feed a large group, the general guideline is that 60 pounds of crawfish feeds 15 to 30 people, whereas 90 pounds covers about 25 to 30 guests.
Order live crawfish.
It is easy to get your hands on frozen or de-thawed crawfish. Buying it live and the crawfish arriving that morning is the true experience, though. When you are hosting a boil, part of the entertainment is in the snapping crawfish. Ordering crawfish live guarantees its freshness. Another important part to note is that many companies will give you the option to create your own account. Doing so may give you a future discount option when you make an online order.
Pick the crawfish up at the airport.
Although your instinct may be to get live crawfish shipped to your door, it is more expensive. It also runs the risk of delays, which could affect freshness. If you ask for airport delivery, simply go to the cargo arrival terminal to collect it.
Prepare your side dishes.
Every cajun crawfish boil calls for delicious side dishes to complete the meal. For that authentic Louisianan boil, newspapers are placed on top of long picnic tables. Placed on top of the newspapers are a few side dishes that were not boiled with the seafood. The dishes commonly include red beans and rice, jambalaya or gumbo. Remoulade, hot sauce and cocktail sauce also bring any crawfish boil to the next level.
Gather your gear.
A seafood boiler is ideal, but if you have ever fried a turkey, you can use the same equipment. Whichever you use, make sure that it includes a built-in colander. Once you receive your live crawfish shipped to your door, arrange for the crawfish to be boiled outside and away from anything flammable – it will get messy.
Give a tutorial.
It never hurts to teach your guests how to eat crawfish, especially if it is their first boil. Once you explain how to tear open the crawfish and maximize what you get out of its tail and the head juices, you can dump it all on the newspaper and dig in with your friends.
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