While the sauce is cooking, it's time to prep your seafood. I prefer to use fresh crab, but frozen crab works just as well.
You'll need about 2-3 pounds of crab per person. Make sure to rinse the crab thoroughly under cold water and remove any excess shells or debris.
Now it's time to cook the sauce. In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients listed above with 4-5 quarts of water.
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. This will allow all of the flavors to meld together and create a rich, spicy sauce.
Once the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, it's time to strain out the solids. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion, garlic, celery, and bay leaves from the pot. Then, use a fine mesh strainer to strain the remaining liquid into a large bowl. Discard the solids.
Now it's time to add the seafood to the pot. Carefully place the crab in the pot and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the crab. Make sure to stir the crab occasionally to ensure that it cooks evenly.