Tell me all your tips, recipes, secrets, etc.

I'm looking to expand my knowledge.

Half the OB will tell you it's physically impossible to cook good crawfish unless you do some magic voodoo ritual of lighting a fire, then putting it out, then relighting it... Cause apparently hot water cooks differently when it doesn't have fire under it vs when it does. And OMG don't put them in a cooler, the "purists" will scream bloody murder.....


Course the fact I learned from my coonass daddy, and grandadddy, and relatives, who all do it without putting the fire out and throw them in a cooler with some tony's makes no difference as I was so strongly lectured to last year...

Personally I think some people just like saying it's "there" recipe, that and they like playing with the burner....

[This message has been edited by Ag_of_08 (edited 2/22/2011 6:41a).]

Purge said bugs.

Get your boil pot to a rolling boil. Use your liquid seasoning - 2x the amount the bottle says to use.

Put bugs in water. Remove when they stgart to float. Toss in ice chest to control cooling. Dust with powdered seasoning if so desired.

Ear. Drink. Be merry.

Best I ever had was made by a big fat coonass in a huge vat of molten, bubbling velveeta.

No ****.

Don't forget the lemons, garlic, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Those are definitely key to the success.

1. Buy your bugs from BCS Seafood- they are cleaner than you can possibly get them on your own. (This may not matter to some people, but it matters to me).

2. Start with a good crab boil, adjust concentration as needed. Try boiling some corn in order to get the heat right.

3. Boil in small batches so that the water never drops below boiling.

Slap yo Momma

Velveeta you say?

[This message has been edited by Horatius (edited 2/22/2011 8:26a).]

Crawfish boiling in cheese. America.

I was just a boy of about fourteen, and our family was friends with this family of Cajuns. I have no idea what all was in the cheese, but it was a big ass copper kettle, full of bubbling cheese loaded with crab boil, peppers, sausage, and God knows what else.

I just remember I had cheese all over me, snot running down my nose, and a belly full of crawfish. I'd like to do it again and add in some beer.

Mother of God....

Good lord AC. Did they serve it with a side of Lipitor?

I can't imagine how much that would cost. Even from a restaurant supplier we pay about $14 for a 5lb brick of cheese

quote:

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Don't forget the lemons, garlic, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Those are definitely key to the success.

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^This

Pearl onions are good also.

Now my stomach is growling but there are no bugs around here except for maybe Goode Company Seafood and they're expensive...

It's not quite lunch time yet but I'm ready.

drive on:

I'm assuming that it was not purely molten cheese, but rather a "cheese sauce"... likely containing a significant amount of beer. I know if you take one block of velveeta and a pint of beer it bulks up into a thinner sauce. You could probably make a good 5 gallon pot of something similar with 4 or 5 blocks of velveeta, a six pack, some water, and other ingredients.

This would also help keep it from scorching. I don't know... I've never replicated this. I would like to do it sometime, though.

Never was a fan of lemons or corn in the boil. Potatoes? Hell yes. Mushrooms? Hell yes x2. Andoullie Sausage? Hell freaking yes.

Sounds like crawfish fondue.

Just like above. Me, I Purge them in salt water
Boil (Small Batch) 3-5# depending on the size of your pot. Boil 8 minutes turn burner off let sit for another 8-10 minutes and remove, dump on table and repeat. Corn, Sausage, Mushrooms and onions. Hell we are from DA BERRY and you can put any-ting in DER and make it tas' good ya.

about purging....

I've always purged the crawfish by pouring them into a big cooler with the drain unplugged then hosed them down with a water hose over and over until I don't see anymore dirt.

Is this the correct way?

We always purge them in very salty water.

What I've been told is it makes them puke up the dirt and what-not they've ingested.

quote:

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Is this the correct way?

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Purging =/= washing

Purging is putting them (while still alive) in lukewarm salt water. It makes them crap and puke so that their intestinal tract is cleaned out.

I've never used any magic formula for the amount of salt to water - just started dumping salt in until I felt like it was enough.

according to the mud-bug gurus at LSU, purging does nothing but kill them faster.
I'll try to find the link someone posted about a year or two ago.

links:
www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/aquaculture/Scientist+More+Interested+in+Research+than+Crawfish+Boils.htm
sg-web.lsu.edu/pdfs/CrawfishFacts.pdf

quote:

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I can't imagine how much that would cost. Even from a restaurant supplier we pay about $14 for a 5lb brick of cheese

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You have to remember, AC is old, like me. Cheese was cheaper when we were 14.

I work with a guy who owned a crawfish company that catered for LSU events. Knows his stuff. He told me purging them in saltwater kills them.

He puts them into a tank with clean water, then drains the water and refills it with clean water again after 12 hours. Leaves them in the water again for 12 hours then cooks them. This is how he told me to do it if you want them to be cleaner.

when you are done, but a brisket into the boil...


In two hours when your are hungry again and really drunk, pull that boy out and chow down....

Use lots of butter and lemons.
I like to add whole mushrooms as well.

The D is right, the salt water really just kills them. 12 hours in clean cooler full of fresh water, drain, then repeat, good to go.

I have been boiling crawfish for 15 years and have never had an issue with purging in salt water. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, that's just my experience. Of course, I don't let them soak for too long.

Dr. Reed at A&M says that it really doesn't purge them and doesn't need to be done.

generalhorticulture.tamu.edu/prof/Recipes/recipes.html

Been cooking them for 25 years and no longer put salt in the water to purge. I dont think it helps and like one poster said I think it may kill some of them. I just make sure they are washed really well.

For cooking I turn the heat off as soon as the water returns to a boil after adding the basket and let sit 15-20 minutes depending on size. 3/4 of my seasoning goes in the water with 1/4 on them in a closed cooler after they come out. Two foks hold the lid closed and shake the heck out of the icechest to mix the added seasoning around coating the bugs. The added seasoning will basicly melt and not be visible(dont shake a cooler that has your taters in it or the crawfish will shred the taters. In the water I use La brand crawfish boil, a bunch of butter(peeling is much easier), and a bottle of lemon juice.

Sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, onions, corn get cooked beforehand with the water only partially seasoned. No way to get the seasoning right on them if they are mixed with the crawfish cause they all soak up seasoning different and cook at diffirent rates. I also place all the extras in their own cooler so foks can get out what they want without having to dig. I also dont add any extra seasoning to this cooler.

Of course a lot of that isnt absolutely necessary but Im pretty detail oriented when it comes to my cooking.



[This message has been edited by CS78 (edited 2/22/2011 5:22p).]

CS 78 nailed the cooking time. The 15-20 minutes will let all of the spice soak up into the crawfish. We never sprinkle any seasoning on the outside of the crawfish. If the water is seasoned correctly you will not need to do this.

CS78 has it about right...purging is critical but just don't go overboard on the salt. I put all my seasonings in the water. Then the potatoes,onions, then the extras that CS listed (you can add artichokes too, they come out amazing), then the bugs, and the corn last. The sausage & butter do work and they make the tails pop right out.

Boil until they start floating, then turn off the heat and LET THEM SOAK. The longer they soak the hotter they get. Forget that BS about dusting them with seasoning in the cooler. Let me ask this, do you eat the shells? That dusting crap is total BS. You shoulda used more crab boil and seasoning in the water.

Just remember to pour all the spent water on your grass. It's amazing compost.


...make that your worst enemy's grass.

Oops and make about 10 pounds more than you think you'll eat. Peel all those leftovers and make yourself ettouffe for the coming days.

Easy as hell recipe...3 onions diced, 1 stalk of celery diced, 2 red peppers diced, and as much garlic as you like. NB - dice them as chunky or fine as you want the end product. Cook all that down with 2 sticks of butter on low low heat for at least 30-45 minutes. Add some water, crawfish tails and cook over low heat for another 30-40 minutes, add cayenne pepper AND Tony's to taste.

We soak, I dust. Wrap some boudain in foil and drop in the water for a treat later.