Creole Seasoning: [makes 6 cups]
 3   cup  Salt
 3/4  cup  Granulated -or- Powdered Garlic
 3/4  cup  Black Pepper [freshly ground]
 6   tsp  Cayenne Pepper
 6   tsp  Thyme
 6   tsp  Oregano
 3   cup  Paprika
 1/2  cup+1 tsp  Granulated -or- Powdered Onion

To prepare the Crawfish:
 6   lbs  Live Crawfish
 2   cups + 21/2 tbl  Salt
 4   gal  Water
 2   cup  Creole Seasoning
 4        Lemons  [cut in half]
 4   lrg  Onions  [peeled and quartered]
 1   lb   Small New Potatoes  [scrubbed, skin on]
 4   ear  Corn  [shucked & halved]

Fill cooler with beer and ice.  Fill a washtub or ice chest with water and add 2 cups of salt.  Add crawfish.  They will swim around, and the salt will cause them to purge themselves of impurities and will also clean their outer shells.

While crawfish are purging, put a large pot on stove with about 4 gallons of water.  Add remaining salt, Creole seasoning, cayenne, peppercorns, bay leaves and lemons.  Bring to a boil and let boil for 15 minutes.

In a basket, add half of the garlic, half of the onions, and half of the new potatoes.  Place basket in the boil and let cook for four to five minutes.  Add half of the corn and bring back to a boil.

Drain the crawfish from the purging water.  (Be careful not to let them purge too long. You do not want them to be dead when you add them to the boil.)

Add half of the crawfish to the basket and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.  Pull the basket out, drain, and pour contents onto a table that has been covered with newspaper.  Repeat with other half of all ingredients.
 

Tips from the Kitchen:
Make sure the crawfish are lively.  You can make this recipe with shrimp and crabs as well.  You may also personalize your boil by adding different vegetables, sausage etc.  Better check on that cooler filled  with beer and ice !