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