Bayou Saigon Crawfish Boil
Vietnamese families who settled the Louisiana Gulf Coast beginning in the 1970s brought lemongrass and dried shrimp to the crawfish boil, and the result is one of the great genuine fusions in American cooking. Bayou Saigon is that crossroads in a jar: garlic and cayenne alongside lemongrass and dried shrimp, the bayou and the South China Sea at the same table.
Serves 6–8 · Prep 30 min · Cook 45 min
Ingredients
- 5 lbs live or fresh crawfish (or substitute shrimp)
- 4 tablespoons Bayou Saigon
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 whole head of garlic, halved crosswise
- 2 lbs small red potatoes
- 4 ears of corn, halved
- 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
- 2 lemons, halved
- 2 gallons water
Directions
- 1
Bring 2 gallons of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add Bayou Saigon, garlic, and lemons, squeeze and drop in.
- 2
Add potatoes. Boil 10 minutes.
- 3
Add sausage and corn. Boil 5 minutes more.
- 4
Add crawfish. Return to a boil and cook 3–5 minutes until tails are pink and pulled tight.
- 5
Drain. Melt butter and stir in 1 teaspoon additional Bayou Saigon. Pour over the spread.
- 6
Pour out onto a newspaper-lined table and serve immediately.
Cook's Note
The lemongrass and dried shrimp in Bayou Saigon are the Viet-Cajun signature, they bring a brightness and umami depth that straight Cajun seasoning doesn't have. Don't skip the butter finish.
Made with Bayou Saigon, from our Far Shores collection.
Where the South met the world., Greer Southern Table