Garlic Butter Whole Crawfish with Lemon and Parsley
Fully cooked whole freshwater crawfish reheated safely and finished in garlic lemon butter with fresh parsley. Four appetizer portions.
Ingredients
- 2 lb whole fully cooked freshwater crawfish thawed in refrigerator if frozen; plain/unseasoned preferred
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter for garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil for garlic sauce
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 whole lemon juice for sauce and wedges to serve
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper to taste
- 0.125 tsp smoked paprika optional
- 0.25 cup water for steaming/reheating
Instructions
- Use fully cooked whole crawfish only. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator following the package instructions. Drain and inspect. Do not use raw or live crawfish for this specific reheating recipe.
- Place cooked crawfish in a large wide lidded pan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and warm over medium heat, turning gently until edible tail meat reaches at least 165°F (74°C) throughout when reheating cooked and cooled leftovers. Work in batches if crowded.
- Separately melt butter with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and stir about 1 minute until fragrant, not browned.
- Remove butter skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice, black pepper, optional paprika and parsley.
- Drain excess water from hot crawfish, transfer to a warmed bowl, then toss gently with roughly three-quarters of the garlic butter sauce.
- Finish with parsley and lemon wedges. Offer remaining butter for dipping and a separate bowl for discarded shells. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Notes
Use pre-cooked whole freshwater crawfish, not raw live crawfish. This card's 20 minutes exclude thawing; thaw frozen shellfish overnight in a refrigerator. USDA advises reheating cooked and cooled leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C); check edible tail meat with a thermometer. Shell-on weight includes substantial inedible shells. Contains shellfish and dairy.