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How to cook crawdads?


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#1 Guest_butch_*

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 05:48 PM

Do anyone know how to cook crawdads? Like what temp of water for boiling crawdads and what I should add to the crawdads?

#2 Guest_ashtonmj_*

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 06:24 PM

Steam them with a roiling boil until shells turn red and curl and add Old Bay to the water.

#3 Guest_dafrimpster_*

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 09:52 PM

My brother soaks them live in salty water for a period of time prior to steaming. He says it makes them release their "mud". I don't know if that's really necessary but his crawdads tasted really good and very mild flavored. He adds Old Bay to his cooking water as well.

#4 Guest_BTDarters_*

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 11:33 PM

What's Old Bay?

Brian

#5 Guest_AndrewAcropora_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 03:30 PM

Posted Image

#6 Guest_ashtonmj_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 03:46 PM

It's a way of life in Maryland and also what the air outside my apartment smells like on most nights (there is a crab house across the street).

Good suggestion to shock them in the salty water.

#7 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 04:31 PM

Even with Zatarin's or Old Bay I always start any shellfish boil with celery (the leafy portion is best) quartered onion and salt. I also like to add potatoes and corn on the cob.

#8 Guest_CATfishTONY_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 05:17 PM

Even with Zatarin's or Old Bay I always start any shellfish boil with celery (the leafy portion is best) quartered onion and salt. I also like to add potatoes and corn on the cob.


I agree, Teleost
spices and corn on the cob cut in 1/4 red potatoes garlic and onion celery
all need to cook down a little first then add the bugs just at the end of boil down
cook until bright red and serve on a big platter.
I use Zatarain's.

#9 Guest_scott361_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 05:44 PM

Yum!
I haven't had a good crawdad boil in many years.
Although we had them in our local rivers, we always drove to better areas.
There were always more, and they were bigger and better, north of us in some of the irrigation canals.
No one else seemed to bother with 'em, so we had it all to ourselves.

We still tease my dad about the big one that pinched the crap outa' him!:~)
My brother and I were being real spooky about not gettin' grabbed.
My dad kept giving us a hard time about being wusses and just grab 'em.
"Come on you wusses!!, he said, "They can't hurt you! They're just little guys!"
Within minutes...
We heard a not very tough howl(more like a shriek!!) come outa' him!
The rest of the day was spent mocking his toughness and we've never let him forget it!
Ever!
He's always been a good sport about and it was one of those great family bonding experiences.
One of many and (Grin!!)most at his expense! ;~)

Scott

#10 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 17 January 2009 - 06:56 PM

My brother soaks them live in salty water for a period of time prior to steaming. He says it makes them release their "mud". I don't know if that's really necessary but his crawdads tasted really good and very mild flavored. He adds Old Bay to his cooking water as well.


If you grab the end of the tail on either side, and bend up till it brakes on both sides you can pull the mud vane out in one peace.

After that I boil them and eat them with shrimp coctail sauce.

Mike

#11 centrarchid

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Posted 28 February 2016 - 07:44 PM

Here is a way of doing it.

 

Below are how some of the critters we prepared looked. The included virile crayfish. white river crawfish, brook silversides and red fin shiners. Virile crayfish had superior mouth feel (not overly crunchy) while brook silversides had a mild flavor relative to the shiners. Earlier in the season the shiners noted as being more flavorful.

Dressed and washed.
130801_421.jpg

After breading and frying.
130801_422.jpg


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#12 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 28 February 2016 - 08:32 PM

I see no reason to mess with cooking them Cajun style. They taste just perfect during cool months, boiled peeled and dipped in butter. I am sure others have better recipes. Mine is simple. It helps a bunch to keep them food less and in clean water for a couple of days.       Looks tasty Centrarchid. 


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#13 centrarchid

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Posted 28 February 2016 - 10:00 PM

Approach above is not Cajun style.  Origin of recipe is southern Indiana.  A great deal less waste as well.  Standard boiling approach results in an best 20% of live animal being consumed while my approach that is closer to 70%.


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#14 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 05:44 PM

I know it is not Cajun style. Just seems most are stuck with that general recipe. Yours looks good. I would love to try them, however I will still always treat mine as I have since childhood. Taste great boiled peeled and buttered. But if someone else is cooking, I am eating even if they are Cajun style. In SW Ohio, many of our very small streams are loaded with nice sized rusticus. They are native here, and I am glad to have them. I reckon their tails are a bit light on meat, but they make up for that in their sheer abundance.


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#15 Bulldarter

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 06:38 PM

How do you eat the silversides/shiners? Just whole? I do mine like you Matt.



#16 centrarchid

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 07:41 PM

I boil larger crayfish as well and treat them like lobster in the process.  We targeted Papershell Crayfish Orconectes rusiticus and Indiana Crayfish O. indianansis.  Lower in the Ohio we also got into a critter very much like your Rusty Crayfish but at least a couple Rusty-like species occur between my home and where you are located.  All taste about the same.


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#17 gzeiger

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 09:22 PM

Which parts are you eating to get 70%? Are those soft-shelled individuals, or are you really eating the shells too? Species I've tried seem much too tough for that.



#18 centrarchid

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 09:44 PM

Remove carapace leaving periopods (legs and chelae) with attached gills intact.  Where the balance is concerned, you eat all of it.  Think about the benefits of fiber and chew thoroughly.  If you fail to chew thoroughly enough, then when taking trip to john next day for a #2 deposit, I strongly suggest you take a stick to bite on.

 

Shell does vary with species, life-stage and season not to mention molt cycle.  Smaller easier to eat and those hardened for battle in riffle areas of stream are tougher.  Rusty's are about average with most Cambarus and many of the stream dwellers being much tougher.  Papershells and Shrimp Crayfish are best but latter hard to get legally.  I wish I could farm Shrimp Crayfish.


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#19 Irate Mormon

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Posted 01 March 2016 - 06:30 PM

I love crawdads, but sorry - I don't suck (or chew!) the heads.  Just...no.  "We waste no part of the animal" - I think that was in a Stephen King novel. 


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#20 gzeiger

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Posted 01 March 2016 - 06:59 PM

Reminds me of this one:

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