f13.net

I'm thinking of giving this a go but am currently clueless.

How long do you cook em and can I just strain em and dump into icewater (simular to blanching veggies) or do i need to engineer me a cooling rig?

edit: any and all tips welcome!

Generally you only need to boil the crayfish for about 5 minutes or so (the shells will be bright red when they're done), but you'll have already been boiling the red potatoes and corn for some time before.  Some people follow this with a long (15-30 min) soak off the boil, but I've never bothered.

As for cooling them, last time we did our usual thing and laid out a big folding table covered with newspaper, put the crayfish, corn and potatoes on it and then sprinkled them liberally with Tony's and seasoned salt, tossing to make sure everything's covered.

Also wanted to add that generaly we use a turkey fryer, and toss some salt, a couple of onions (cut in half), some crushed garlic, crushed dried peppers and a few bay leaves in and let that boil for a bit before the potatoes and corn go in.

...or just add (http://www.clisham.com-a.googlepages.com/290_6216_oldbaycan.gif)

Last time I went to one of these was about 12 years ago... I will never eat another crawdad.

Why?  What happened?  (http://www.invision.smileyville.net/smilies/doh%20(15).gif)

DON'T EAT THE HEAD.

Why would you even think of eating the head? Does that actually happen by accident or something?

In Louisiana, they suck out the brains.

This accounts for 90% of why Louisiana is Louisiana, the other ten percent is due to inbreeding.

Yes, one must suck the head. It contains a lot of flavorful juices. This isn't only in Lousianna, but in every mediteranian country worth its salt as well.

I rest my case.

HA!  Engels sucks crawdad head!   :-)  I've never had one but if I ever do, I'll suck it's head, too.  Just because.

Asia as well.

Ya i'll probably go the toss in a package of seasoning route then add a few ingredients to my taste.  A little worried about cooking times and the possible need to quickly cool them off so they don't overcook. 

The only time I've been to a boil the guy had a home made cooling coil (coiled copper tubing the size of the pot hookud up to a garden hose).  I'm guessing he did it that way as opposed to my "just strain and toss into some ice water" idea to avoid washing all the spices off.  Either that or he just wanted something to point at with his beer and grunt knowingly.  Whatever he was doing resulted in some tasty stuff though, unfortunately he moved away and is no longer in touch.

Also do you let em hang out in a wading pool (chance for one last BM) or anything for a day or so prior to cooking em?

Once again I am clueless (other than having witnessed the final moments prior to eating anyhow).

Crawfish are so over rated.  Too much work to get to a little bit of meat.  Go with shrimp instead.  Ruby reds if you can get it.

Zatarain's (http://www.zatarains.com/) ftw.

not sure if it's the due to the shit brown gulf shrimp or the freezer burned other stuff that seems abundantly available here in Austin but I haven't had much luck acquiring decent shrimp since moving here and it has kind of put me off it.  I have however had some pretty tasty crawfish since coming here so I figured I'd give it a go.  Plus it's easier to purchase live crawfish than it is live shrimp so at least they will be fresh and thats always a good thing.

I don't recommend blanching in cold water as you'll lose a lot of your spice that way. If you do want to cool 'em down a bit before dumping them on the table, get 2 or 3 2 liter soda/water bottles, fill them 2/3 full of water and freeze them ahead of time. After the bugs are done and the fire is off, drop 'em into the pot for about 5 minutes. Won't make them cold or chill the potatoes and corn too much, but will bring them temp down and it makes the bugs soak up more of the spicy goodness.

Gods yes!  A dash is good spice for everything.  Chicken.  Beef.  Fajitas.  Yum!

You can get the cooling coil from homebrew supply stores on the internet.  I got mine here http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdBySubCat.aspx?SubCat=11054 (http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdBySubCat.aspx?SubCat=11054)

Thats the best damn part.  I also eat the head of lobsters.. at least the good stuff in there.  I used to think it was disgusting til I tried it, but man it's tasty.

The me of 5 years ago would have been all over that, but the me of today is thinkin the frozen 2 liter bottles sounds like genius (if they don't melt that is).  I am at a point in life where I really don't want to acquire more stuff I already feel like I am drowning in my own materialistic shit.

Sauced and I went to a crawfish boil a couple weeks ago, I blogged it. (http://voodoolily.blogspot.com/2008/07/crawdad-sliders-with-hot-sauce-and.html)

(http://bp0.blogger.com/_uVSUPK950uU/SGsHAf_SH7I/AAAAAAAAA3k/RjBtUqk3f1c/s400/DSCN3573.JPG)

Crawdad sliders are worth the trouble, so's étouffée, so don't believe the haters.

Crawfish/crawdads/crayfish/whatever you want to call them are AWESOME! Tasty tasty stuff. I also suck the head out. MMMMMM! It's one of the few things I miss from living in the south.

I would avoid any strange cooling procedures and just wait 5 minutes before diving in. Your patience will be rewarded!

Shrimp boils are better.

Just saying.

That.

Any attempt at tossing them on ice or around frozen 2 ltr bottles will just make them mushy.

Eat them hot (both in temp and spicy) with liberal amounts of beer.


Also, very true.

I prefer clam bakes.. mmm. 

When is crawdad season?  I remember getting them on a spring visit to New Orleans, but hell I can't find enough of them in the streams around here.  At least I have fresh bluegill and catfish anytime I like.

I wish Bad Albert's would have been open when you and Sauced hit Seattle- their cajun crawfish is as close to heaven as I am ever likely to get.

They're farm-raised, so you should be able to get them anytime.

I'll stick with our lobster boils. Every few years, my parents throw a party, collect $20 a head and I pick up the live lobster shipment at the airport on the way to the ferry. Several companies will ship them packed live in ice from either Nova Scotia or Maine.

My grandmother insisted that the green gunk inside the lobster was the best part.

Are they arctic lobster?

Atlantic Lobster is all I've ever heard it refered to as. I think we used these guys last time: http://www.lobsterdirect.com/ (http://www.lobsterdirect.com/)

I wonder how they live in ice is all.

I am assuming their bodily functions slow to almost nothing, but are reviveable when warmed. Ya know, like other insects  :awesome_for_real:

No, I didn't eat the head, I just gorged myself on them. I can't even eat lobster, tastes too similar.

I'm not sure you're aware of this, but, it's fucking cold on the bottom of the sea.

It's true, the salt keeps the water from freezing.

I can assure you, they are still pretty alive and active, right up until you dunk them headfirst in to the boiling water.

I'll throw in a couple of tips.

Wash the fish three to five times instead of purging them.  Most people salt the shit out of them and it ruins the texture.  Not to mention the flavor.

The 20 minute soak after cooking is absolutely necessary.  This is when the crab or crawfish boil flavors the fish.  This is when you should add any flavor, such as garlic and citrus.  A half gallon of orange juice adds a nice flavor and also makes the shells separate more easily.  Dump a bag of ice in and mix if you want them to be extra spicy. 

"Sucking the heads" is merely getting the fat out of it shell.  You're not eating brains unless you get a straw and make an effort to be gross.

Do you live in Innsmouth?

Ok, so I wasn't thinking. Mark the calendar.  :awesome_for_real: