Cray fish

[Buckshot]

I was given a few dozen cray fish at the weekend. ):
Hugh Furry whippingstool gives a recipee in one of his books but anyone else got any ideas. :?:
When I got them on Saturday I put them in the freezer to kill them, I thought that was better than boiling :yikes:
Is there anything I need to look out for/ avoid when prepping or eating them

Cheers

Mark

 

[jakunen]

You lucky :***: . I love them just boiled and served with butter, or shelled and served in a cream and paprika sauce with a rocquette salad and a chilled white Rioja.

Or break them up, add a little horseradish and basil and put in a raviola with a cream and lemon sauce.

BTW, what time shall I come round?):

 

[Paganwolf]

MMMMMMMmmm my fave how about on the BBQ or in the embers of your fire cook em much like prawns,not to long though as they go real tough, make a pot of warm garlic butter to dip them in

 

[Gary]

I've never tried them ......... but I think I will have to now!

 

[Paganwolf]

Ill have to get some for you to try!

 

[mr dazzler]

Me and my mate used to get crayfish out the river tees. Just turning over rocks and grabbing them. Never occured to us to eat them. Sometimes you'd see a little pile of crayfish shells on a stone by the water and you'd know an otter had had a meal

 

[Realgar]

Boil 'em for 4 mins, rip off the head. Don't use the head meat. Remove the ( usualy ) black intestine, crack open the claws.

For a quick meal I like them flash fried with a spot of pepper and some bacon. Other than that treat them as you would do prawn or crab meat.

I've taken to bringing a tin can brazier with me when I fish and grilling a few on charcoal. Spike them between the eyes or through the mouth before pulling apart to grill. Cook the claws until steam comes out of the top. Shell the tails and kebab them.

On a typical days fishing I'll get something like 80 out of the Blythe using just a salmon head on a piece of string and a landing net. You can't dead bait for anything in that water unless it's crayfish you're after.

Think smelly baits - if you mush up the bait in the water you'll see a long line of crayfish following the scent up to the bait.

Oneforthepot
Oneforthepot

 

[Ginja]

Mmm, they are delicious! Just remember fellas - crayfish are a protected species in some parts of the UK - I used to slay 'em and eat 'em by the dozen as a kid till I found out ... best check with your local warden/ranger, etc.

G

 

[C_Claycomb]

Its just a matter of telling the difference between the endangered native crayfish and the introduced signal crawfish, which is anything but protected

 

[jakunen]

Pretty easy to tell apart though.

IIRC signals are larger and more of a grey colour with larger claws which are red or blue in the male?
Natives are smaller and brown.

 

[Buckshot]

Thanks guys, some nice ideas there.

We're planning on having them this week sometime, I'll let you know how good they are ):

Cheers

Mark

 

[Tantalus]

Mmm, they are delicious! Just remember fellas - crayfish are a protected species in some parts of the UK - I used to slay 'em and eat 'em by the dozen as a kid till I found out ... best check with your local warden/ranger, etc.

G

Ginja any more info on how to tell the 2 apart?

please

Tant

 

[Adi007]

Here is the rare (and protected) Crayfish:
http://www.uksafari.com/crayfish.htm

And here is the Signal Crayfish:
http://www.nature-photography.co.uk/Web site Other wildlife/pages/Signal crayfish.htm

Here are both:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/246986/257916/261125/?lang=_e

 

[Gary]

Cheers Paganwolf - look forward to it! :You_Rock_ Do they go well with wHISKYmAC? :uu:

 

[Buckshot]

They were very nice btw.
Had them last night, boiled with a very garlic mao. - mmmmmm

It's not a meal you can rush though - quite fiddly really and not a huge amount of meat on each one but still very nice.


Thanks all for your sugestions :You_Rock_

Cheers

Mark

 

[Ginja]

Nice one Adi - you beat me to it! Useful links ...

G

 

[Paganwolf]

Everything goes well with a whisky mac :super: :rolmao: :rolmao:

 

[mattange]

Caught my first few on friday evening and enjoyed on saturday with a chilli/mayo dip!!

 

[Buckshot]

Que Homer Simpson impression

'Hmmm chilliiiii mayoooooo dip !'

Sounds great

Mark

 

[Keith_Beef]

In the village of Saint-Jory de Chalais, Dordogne, in late August or early September (IIRR), there is the Fête de l'Ecrevisse.

More crayfish than you could shake a stick at. Though they are imported from Armenia.

But there are thousands of them.

And it's a good day out, too, if you're down that way.


Keith.