How do you cook crayfish?

[JimO]

my wife is away for a couple of days and today i was given 4 big crays ordinarly i would leave the cooking to her but cant wait till she comes back, can they be frozen?? they were caught today and are still alive, do you boil them live??

[yungatart]

Just bring them to me..I am an expert and promise to look after them properly!

[JimO]

Just bring them to me..I am an expert and promise to look after them properly!

funny thing is my wife is in Napier with my 2 oldest boys at the national U18 hockey tournament so if i gave them to you, you would have to share them with her

[eelracing]

When they stop screaming,they are done.

[Deano]

I've heard that boiling alive is pretty cruel and I think the SPCA are against it.

I think the preferred method is to freeze - they effectively shut down without too much trauma, or so I've heard.

I guess you would then thaw them out before cooking - but I am not 100% sure.

I can't actually see why people rave about them anyway - bloody expensive for what you get - I find the meat ok, but bloody messy to get at it from the legs etc. Then again I am a fussy bugger. Give me a de-shelled prawn anyday.

I'm sure someone here has experience with this. But personally, I couldn't throw a living animal into boiling water.

[Deano]

When they stop screaming,they are done.

Exactly why I couldn't do it - thanks Mark.......you cruel cruel man you

[slofox]

You can put them in the freezer to bump them off. This is reputed to be humane...
Cook 'em by bringing to boil in water. Don't overdo the cooking or they be tough...

"The general consensus is freezing it first, before putting it into boiling water is the kindest, and fastest way to kill this crustacean. (About 15 seconds according to experimental evidence). Apparently the poor creature never wakes up from its frozen doze, and in its senseless immobile state, hopefully neither knows or cares what happens to it in the pot."

" * To dispatch (euthanise) your crayfish humanely, put it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This is the method recommended by the New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council.
* For best results, cook the dispatched crayfish in boiling seawater. If seawater is not available add a desertspoon of salt to the boiling water.
* After the crayfish is cooked (between 6-12 minutes depending on size) drop it straight into a sink full of cold water for 30 seconds to prevent it from continuing to cook. Remove and let drain and cool. Many people prefer crayfish cold or lukewarm rather than hot! "

[CookMySock]

I think the preferred method is to freeze - they effectively shut down without too much trauma, or so I've heard.Use a screwdriver.

Steve

[Duke girl]

Exactly what Slofox just said. Enjoy.

[James Deuce]

They're just a big, giant, sea-dwelling insect anyway. Kill them with Raid.

[Mom]

Just bring them to me..I am an expert and promise to look after them properly!

HAha, nice try doll, but he should send them to me, hell I will even pay the courier charge :innocent:


They're just a big, giant, sea-dwelling insect anyway. Kill them with Raid.


Ask Maha about Raid and its effectiveness against rats :yes:

[MSTRS]

Do not FREEZE them. At least not to a state of 'solid'...the meat will end up mushy.
I usually drown them in fresh water...immerse head first in a bucket, for instance.
Bring a (big enough) pot of water to the boil. Pop the critter/s in. Somewhere between 4-7 mins will usually do it.
You will need to remove the shit tube after cooking. It looks like a blood vessel and runs down the middle of the tail. Get at it by cutting along the underside of the tail, front to back, and break open.

[Kirill357]

Nobody tried BBQ, charcoal?? Surprising, I think boiling is not the best way, stick it on a barbi with piece of butter, noice :)

[MSTRS]

Nobody tried BBQ, charcoal?? Surprising, I think boiling is not the best way, stick it on a barbi with piece of butter, noice :)

OOOOH YEAH!!
Kill by preferred method. Cut entire beastie in half, lengthways, Spread a little butter/garlic on the flesh. Place on BBQ shell-down, until bubbling. Turn over to sear the meat. Enjoy.

[eelracing]

They're just a big, giant, sea-dwelling insect anyway. Kill them with Raid.

Try that with a packhorse cray and the bugger will snatch it off of ya and beat ya round the head with it.

[eelracing]

Exactly why I couldn't do it - thanks Mark.......you cruel cruel man you

Ha ha not at all,I could'nt do it either.

Bugs give me the creeps.

[JimO]

will they stay alive until sunday night in a buckt of water when my wife gets home then she can cook them

[wickle]

OOOOH YEAH!!
Kill by preferred method. Cut entire beastie in half, lengthways, Spread a little butter/garlic on the flesh. Place on BBQ shell-down, until bubbling. Turn over to sear the meat. Enjoy.
dont need extra seasoning they come with they own seasoning, lovelly brown mustard

[98tls]

Do not FREEZE them. At least not to a state of 'solid'...the meat will end up mushy.
I usually drown them in fresh water...immerse head first in a bucket, for instance.
Bring a (big enough) pot of water to the boil. Pop the critter/s in. Somewhere between 4-7 mins will usually do it.
You will need to remove the shit tube after cooking. It looks like a blood vessel and runs down the middle of the tail. Get at it by cutting along the underside of the tail, front to back, and break open.
Yep thats the way.Personally i wont eat cray thats been anywhere near a fridge,bloody horrible.As for the shit,eat it its beautiful.

[JimO]

As for the shit,eat it its beautiful.

ewwwww ........

[98tls]

ewwwww ........ Seriously mate its beautiful.If there big buggers grab a set of pliers for cracking open the legs,plenty of good stuff in there.

[JimO]

Seriously mate its beautiful.If there big buggers grab a set of pliers for cracking open the legs,plenty of good stuff in there.

they were walking about off the coast of Karatani at 2ok

[scumdog]

Seriously mate its beautiful.If there big buggers grab a set of pliers for cracking open the legs,plenty of good stuff in there.

Yup, legs and most of the sticky-out bits have a lot of eating in them.:niceone:

[steelestring]

Boiling Method

Drowning them in fresh water, they slowly drop off to sleep.... they are more relaxed and expell whatever they have in there mouths and take a bit of a shit before they go.... Making for better eating/cleaning.

Boiling sea water (rolling boil) or salted water to plunge the guys in..... because they have had a relax while there passing the flesh and sinues are softer less tense, as the shock from being boiled alive is eliminated (this does not apply to the bbq method)

Depending on size and temp of the crays as soon as the first sign of white protein oozes from the tail quickly, rip them out...... hang them face down to expell the water 3 mins approx..... screw off tail cut down the middle and serve.

If you were to keep them and eat cold.... plung anto ice water after pulling them out and refresh them, drain chill and eat.

The brown mustard seasoning I like to call the boiller room goes well with vinegar and salt / or a wanky 80's style sauce rose'

BBQ..... split in half live with garlic and corriander, season well shell side down and shoot them into the wood fired pizza oven and pull them out and serve just as they start to stop moving...

chur

[Katman]

they were walking about off the coast of Karatani at 2ok

There might still be time.

Take them back there.

:msn-wink:

[MadDuck]

Boiling! What a waste. The method I used to always use was ike (spelling) them so they die quick.

Cut them in half...fire up the BBQ...white wine...garlic and a touch of butter.

[scumdog]

Boiling Method

Drowning them in fresh water, they slowly drop off to sleep...

chur

Not when I've done it - you might as well be dropping them into acid by the way they react - flapping like hell and water everywhere.

They obviously don't like it.:oi-grr:

[MadDuck]

They obviously don't like it.:oi-grr:

Would you ? :nono:

[steelestring]

better than fresh water... and boiling!!!

[steelestring]

cooked about 20-30 crays per night for a good 4 and half years.... lots of methods used... there is no "nice way" to eat them.... i have had them raw and alive in Japan, i went to school there for a bit

[steelestring]

have been cooking for 9 years prof. but have been cooking crays on the beach since i was 7 years old...
Snorkling for paua, kina, and crays are part of my life.... eaten them all raw and cherished

[Karl08]

Bit of water at bottom of pot (size- depending on size of cray). Place upturned dessert bowl on bottom of pot, and place cray on top. Place lid on top, and steam that sucker- I prefer that to boiling.

[steelestring]

Bit of water at bottom of pot (size- depending on size of cray). Place upturned dessert bowl on bottom of pot, and place cray on top. Place lid on top, and steam that sucker- I prefer that to boiling.

Good may to do it... sometimes if if over cooked or boiling temp drops too low during the cooking process the temp drops too low and water logs the beastie :[

Removing the flesh and steaming suffason style [ wrap it up in blanched cabbage leaves with no interuption is a way to go.... I also add ginger lemon grass and lime leaves to my steamers water to crack some flavor

[steelestring]

drunk, night off, sorry about the slurring and spelling

[MadDuck]

drunk, night off, sorry about the slurring and spelling

Wouldnt worry about it. Its kind of standard for KB on a Friday night.

[Deano]

Boiling Method

Drowning them in fresh water, they slowly drop off to sleep.... they are more relaxed and expell whatever they have in there mouths and take a bit of a shit before they go.... Making for better eating/cleaning.




I just KNEW that eating their shit (or anything's shit) wasn't a good idea !!

[scumdog]

Wouldnt worry about it. Its kind of standard for KB on a Friday night.

Speak for youself.

Abourbon, a beer and finishing abottle of red wine and I for one ain't drunk:devil2:

[Karl08]

There is something depressing about reading about someone else's crayfish....My piece of toast doesn't seem the same somehow.

[Ronin]

Speak for youself.

Abourbon, a beer and finishing abottle of red wine and I for one ain't drunk:devil2:

Still on duty? :msn-wink:

[Mikkel]

How hard can it be? It's seafood innit?

Lightly kill them with a mallet, then roll them in a mix of egg and bread crumbs and finally leave them for 30 minutes in the deep fryer. Serve with plenty of sweet chili sauce.

[Blackshear]

You're all nasty bastards! Stab it in the 'ead a few times.

Father never takes me fishing anymore, I always catch the biggest fish and let it go :clap: Never had a taste for seafood.

DEAD MAMMAL ANYDAY

[JimO]

well i gave them 30 mins in the freezer to humanely kill them then boiled in a pot of salty water 2 at a time as they were to big to all go in together and they were scrumptilouchis:niceone: