/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.10295863]

Does /ck/ plan to mess with crawfish this year? Any secret techniques you'd be willing to divulge?

I'm hosting a party next weekend, starting with absolutely zero experience and equipment

[Anonymous No.10296033]

>>10295863
I never cook them myself but sometimes eat them when they're in season. My only advice is don't skimp on the seasoning

[Anonymous No.10296101]

>>10295863
Probably
I want to move away from the big boil
I was watching Ugly Delicious and he made a really good point about the boil being basically the only way people cook crawfish
There’s stuff like etoufee, but still

[Anonymous No.10296116]

>>10295863
Are crawfish actually regarded as good party food ? When I think party, I thinkj loads of alcohol, but then again, I'm a binge drinker.

[Anonymous No.10296131]

>>10296116
What is a crawfish boil?

[Anonymous No.10296143]

>>10296116
I would only get crawfish at a seafood place with my friends. I can't imagine sucking a crawfish head at a party

[Anonymous No.10296156]

>>10296033

That's like, advice for almost everything anon! Reminds me of a friend who never used seasoning because "nothing needs it". This guy also serves spaghetti in the form of boiled pasta on a plate, with no sauce. Yeah.

>>10296101

Well, the idea is you do a big cookoff, and have your best chums help you peel the left overs, and use that to make etoufee the next night!

>>10296116

I'd go with yes, simply because you make so much of it in one go, and it seems silly to cook a 35# or so bag (the standard it seems), when 3-5 lb is what a normal person usually goes through, and just be by yourself.

>>10296131

Get a big pot setup, throw in about 35# crawfish, then veggies like potatoes, corn, onion. Invite a bunch of friends. Sit at a table eating spicy crawfish and drinking whatever gets you loose. Comfy times anon.

[Anonymous No.10296166]

Not OP, but I've never cooked crawfish myself. I've only eaten someone else's. Any tips on what to do so that it turns out well-seasoned?

[Anonymous No.10296172]

.

[Anonymous No.10296174]

>>10296166

I've been researching that. It seems like a lot of people just throw a shit ton of tonies and pepper in the pot and call it a day. I'm seeing some people say powdered celery and "liquid boil" are secret ingredients to really boost the flavor.

Personally I want spice, but, also other stuff. I hate shit that's just spicy and that's it. Bland in it's own way.

[Anonymous No.10296176]

>>10296166
I didn't see this post.
>>10296033
So, my best bet would be to overseason. Good. I've been disappointed by bland crawfish before.

[Anonymous No.10296192]

>>10295863
Had some creole crawfish in New Orleans about 6 weeks ago. it was legit very good and I'm not even a huge fan of it.

Pic related.

[Anonymous No.10296201]

>>10295863
Yup, making cages this spring. Got some good spots staked out.

[Anonymous No.10296231]

This all sounds like so much fun

I'm in socal and none of my good friends wanna do this sort of stuff with me

[Anonymous No.10296238]

>>10296033
I think you meant don't SHRIMP on the seasoning haha

[Anonymous No.10296263]

>>10296231

All of the friends I grew up with, and to this day seem to make, are completely averse to social gatherings. They don't want to go to clubs, they don't want to do house parties, I don't even understand how our friendship dynamic works. Maybe it's the whole opposites attract thing, and as an extrovert I just attract the shit out of introverts

[Anonymous No.10296287]

>>10296263
Same. 5 close friends and only one can stand to even drink beer

[Anonymous No.10296293]

>>10296287
That's what Angry Orchard is for...or any other hard cider.

[Anonymous No.10296315]

I went to a crawfish boil once when my brother graduated from school in New Orleans. It was great.

I live in Chicago and the only crawfish they ever have at the fish counter is precooked I think. Does that works wellor do you need to get them live?

>>10296263
>>10296287
Sounds like you need better friends

[Anonymous No.10296366]

>>10295863
yes, my secret is I order it from the crawfish place because fuck you that's why

[Anonymous No.10296533]

>>10296315
personally I'd boil them live like a lobster.

[Anonymous No.10296547]

>>10296366
>He hasn't gone crawfishing with his bare hands.
Are you one of them girly men?

[Anonymous No.10296551]

>>10295863
don't forget to add mushrooms.

[Anonymous No.10296555]

>>10296547
Not him, but I live in the desert, so I can't really do that.

[Anonymous No.10296557]

>>10296551
whole. not fucking sliced.

[Anonymous No.10296623]

>>10296551
>>10296557


I'm seeing mixed things about adding shrooms. Seems kind of odd adding something that's not quite a finger food.

[Anonymous No.10296706]

Do you guys catch 'em or buy 'em? I usually catch them from a backyard stream. Last time I catched a weird flat crab looking animal while hunting for crawfish. Do fresh water crabs exist or was it a completely different species?

[Anonymous No.10296731]

>>10295863
If you're making a boil, don't forget the good zydeco music, of course! Get that set list planned out!
Classic cajun favorites like "that butt thang" or "Zydeco People" or "Jambalaya on the bayou" or "Tee Nah Nah" or "Cornbread" <-- like the Dave Matthews version. You're welcome!

ONE POT RECIPE
It smells so open the house up, put newspapers down in a thick stack on your tables, and if you can set up a big steamer pot outside (think turkey fryer burner), all the better. You can buy CHEAP speckleware pots at wal-mart or online if you need mass there. You buy a box of zatarains crab boil. In the order of cooking, you drop into the boiling water, crab boil seasoning and maybe some added cayenne peppers, chopped citrus, bay leaves, peppercorns, or red jalapenos (whole or halved):
-small red potatoes (20-30 mins depending on size)
-smoked sausages in about 4 inch lengths should need about 15 minutes (aidells makes an andouille, but any good winn dixie smoked sausage that looks gnarly will do but you can throw in keilbasa in a pinch).
-halved onions, keeping base and peels on is fine
-corn cobs broken in half or thirds for about 3 minutes before adding the crawfish, mushrooms (whole) too!
-finally the live crawfish for <10 minutes.
Hit the whole mess with some Tony Cachere's when taking out of the pot.

Now, if I'm eating out for some crawfish, allow 1-3lbs per person. I'll get an appetizer of stuffed artichokes or boudin balls (deep fried). You can do some grilling at the same time if you want, which gives a better texture on your sausage. I like a little garlic bread with all cajun food. I'd have some cold beer or make some cocktails up, from homemade hurricanes to sazeracs to just something classic. Maybe a nice bread pudding for dessert later, or since you're a foodie, and you're outside, maybe some flaming bananas foster.

This is a good site for tips
http://howtoboilcrawfish.com/

[Anonymous No.10296736]

>>10296315
>I live in Chicago and the only crawfish they ever have at the fish counter is precooked I think. Does that works wellor do you need to get them live?
FedEx ice pack live direct from the farms, kiddo

[Anonymous No.10296738]

>>10296731

Arigato anon kun

[Anonymous No.10296755]

>>10296101
Etoufee is fucking delicious, though. My favorite. I actually prefer crawfish cleaned and used in other dishes other than the boil. I mean, I love a good boil, but I'd rather use crab and shrimp than crawfish. Crawfish-stuffed mirltons or eggplant with a spicy red pepper cream sauce are amazing.

[Anonymous No.10296773]

>>10296623
flavor bombs.
it's not like if you don't add em you're a pussy or something.
i love them. everyone i've made crawfish for loves em.
crawfish, seasoning, andouille, potatoes, corn, mushrooms.
you can put chopped celery, halved onions, halved head of garlic and a couple lbs of cleaned whole mushrooms and if people don't like em they dont have to eat them. i have no problem eating mushrooms with my fingers if i'm busting open crawfish and sucking the heads and holding the corn and potatoes with my fingers.
it's really based on what type of boil you intend on having, i guess. are people going to line a few tables and throw the shells in some strategically placed buckets or are you all going to sit down and have plates of crawfish taken from a table to a table? lol
add em. you wont hate em.

[Anonymous No.10296775]

>>10296174
Throw in liquid boil, sliced lemon, quartered onion, celery chunks, about 5 allspice berries, a few dried and fresh peppers of your choice, black peppercorns, and some whole garlic

[Anonymous No.10296778]

>>10296773
use plastic forks for the potatoes and mushrooms i guess.

[Anonymous No.10296794]

>>10296033
imagine sitting down and trying to eat that. corn on the cob is challenging enough but on a plate with all that sloppy shit that will end up in my lap. plus that finnicky as fuck shellfish that i'd need to sttack with hands. oily veggies, greasy pasta, half a sausage chopped up for me like i'm a fucking baby, only two cherry tomatoes, undercooked salmonella pork with rubbery crackling, and a potato that looks like a kiwi fruit. what the fuck.

1/10. would not rsvp

[Anonymous No.10296797]

>>10296775
yes. lemon also. the liquid boil isn't enough if you're doing a sac full. you want some dry seasoning.

[Anonymous No.10296807]

>>10296794
corn is challenging if you're missing a 4 fingers or a thumb. the rest of your complaints are because you're a PETA fucking vegetarian.

[Anonymous No.10296816]

just use zatarain's liquid and a couple of bags. and don't forget to make it spicy if your guests are on board with a proper boil.

[Anonymous No.10296831]

and for fucks sake, don't forget to purge them in salted water.

[Anonymous No.10296876]

>>10296794
Do you suffer from Parkinson's disease or something? Jesus Christ what a soyboy

[Anonymous No.10296899]

>>10296794
Geez, how much is Gordon going to do on his face? That row of denture quality caps and the weird skin and eyes is getting out of hand. As someone from S. Florida, I'm used to fact you can do minimal stuff to refresh things throughout the year now, but all the after the fact overhauling looks so weird on him. Alcohol is bad for the skin.

[Anonymous No.10297318]

>>10296033
That looks great

[Anonymous No.10297330]

>>10296533
Andy also directed in the hobbit

[Anonymous No.10297949]

yu>>10296731
m

[Anonymous No.10297975]

How do you properly eat one
I've eaten a couple once starting with the tail, but then I think I bit into a sand line or something cause something in it tasted like dirt

[Anonymous No.10297990]

>>10297975
This, I hear people just eat the tail but it feels like wasting 70% of it. I rip off the claws and eat the whole thing

[Anonymous No.10297995]

>>10296778
Or you can use the small red potatoes and bite-size mushrooms. Your fingers are going to be covered in cayenne pepper from the crawfish anyway, it's not like you need to keep them clean.

Also, melt some butter for to dip the potatoes. Mmm yummy.

[Anonymous No.10298005]

>>10297975
Step one: separate head from tail.
Step two: suck/drink spices/gonads (that's what the yellow stuff is, it's not fat) out of the head.
Step three: crack the tail down the center of the back. Peel a few rings until you're comfortable moving to step four.
Step four: squeeze the tail to pop the crawfish out.

If you've purged the crawfish beforehand, you won't encounter a "sand line" (that's the poop chute with poop in it; purge to solve problem). If the crawfish has one, just pull it out and eat the rest.

[Anonymous No.10298148]

>>10296794

>raw pork

That's beef brisket you fucking philistine, also learn what crawfish boil potatoes look like

[Anonymous No.10298170]

ask the person next to you to show you.
it will make them happy that you wont be eating as fast as them.

[Anonymous No.10298173]

I love crawfish spicy as fuck, if they're not fiery as hell I have a big problem. Also if you get them from a restaurant, you should really try to understand what crawfish is about: getting together with neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, etc. and doing it in the backyard as a social event. Anyhow, my recipe:

Water
Live, purged crawfish
Couple onions
Bunch of garlic bulbs, cut in halves
Potatoes
Whole mushrooms
Jalapeños
Haberno peppers
Crab boil mix, two bags
Liquid mix
Tony's

Add sausage and crabs if you have em

That's it. The boil should be good and reddish orange, and you should get a good slow burn as you go through the first two pounds.

[Anonymous No.10298174]

>>10297995
wash twice when you go take a leak

[Anonymous No.10298188]

>>10295863
10/10 would use for bass bait

[Anonymous No.10298194]

>>10297975
That's the "vein." It's poop.

You can get rid of it either by deveining all the crawdads one by one or you starve them for a day or two in special baths and let them naturally poop it out of their system.

[Anonymous No.10298212]

>>10296794
>a potato that looks like a kiwi fruit
>>10298148
>learn what crawfish boil potatoes look like
i just learned that they look like kiwi fruit. are you thick?

[Anonymous No.10298214]

>>10298212

You're the one who thought that was pork, you're clearly the moron. Also, are kiwi fruits not fuzzy?

[Anonymous No.10298224]

>>10296033

>beans touching the pasta
SEND IT BACK

[Anonymous No.10298228]

>>10298214
yes kiwi fruit are fuzzy and those taters looks fuzzy to me. hence the connection. far out dude.

[Anonymous No.10298233]

>>10298188
you gonna catch yearlings and eat em?

[Anonymous No.10298235]

>>10298233
nah I catch dragonfly nymphs and fish with them but crawdads work even better

[Anonymous No.10298241]

>>10298235

I use cheap frozen shrimp for fish bait, get plenty of redfish and croaker with em. I eat any crawfish I can find lol.

[Anonymous No.10298251]

>>10298241
I catch bass or pike or muskie or walleye or gar pike
I'm more North the crawfish here are grey and ugly

[Anonymous No.10298261]

>>10298251

Ah okay. I'm from STL and lived in Michigan, I remember walleye up there. Down here it's more redfish, sunfish, alligator gar, catfish, and all kinds of saltwater fish, in SE Texas now. Lately a big fad has been eating alligator gar, haven't tried it yet.

[Anonymous No.10298266]

>>10298261
the gulf has some great fish.
great fishing.

[Anonymous No.10298282]

>>10295863
Near the end of the cooking time, throw some sliced cajun sausages into the pot. For spicier sausages, cook em longer. I had a friend in high school whose dad threw a boil every summer and they were the best boils I've ever been to.

[Anonymous No.10298288]

>>10296551

[Anonymous No.10298507]

>>10296101
only idiots boil. steam them, they'll turn out less mushy.

[Anonymous No.10298700]

is this crawfish season now? Say end of Northern Hemisphere summer? When I get to muttland I've got to have to opportunity to pound some of this, looks amazing.

[Anonymous No.10299250]

>>10295863
If you're willing to do some prep:

Day before cooking, clean the shit-tubes out with a pairing knife, but leave shells etc in place. Marinate the lot in the fridge overnight with the following: Chilli, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, oil, black pepper. The citric acid will partially cook/soften the meat but don't stress. The shells help for this. (Protip: use gloves if you are doing a large amount. The chilli oil will rape your skin). Drain marinade an hour before cooking, but keep it the sauce for basting while you cook. Grill over a medium-hot barbecue and baste with the marinade as you go. Don't overcook em. Serve with rice or whatever sides you dig. I just like the rice to soak up the juices. Also fresh lemon slices. The heads are like little gore-capsules of flavour you can suck the life out of.

[Anonymous No.10300407]

OP here, I see people talk about salt water purging, but everything I'm reading says there's no scientific basis for doing it. A 10 minute wash clears a decent amount of shit off them, but the impact on the poop shoot is negligible. Supposedly it takes about 12 hours to really make an impact, and adding salt to this only increases the mortality rate.

It's been so long since I've eaten crawfish, I really don't remember if people just deal with the guts as they eat them, or what.