# Crawfish Question From A NewEnglander



## bigtrain74 (Mar 29, 2009)

Hello all... Here in Connecticut and Massachusetts I have never tried a crawfish before in my life... Some may think that is a tad bit wierd but I am very interested in trying them... Same thing with Biscuts and Gravy... Some have told me that I have been missing out on something quite special.

What do the crawfish taste like and how would I prepare them?

Any and all imput would be great!


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## desertfox59 (Mar 30, 2009)

The key to good Biscuits and gravy (IMHO) is to make sure the biscuits themselves are soft light and flaky.  I've used smoked sausage in my gravy and it's better than any other gravy I've had. 

Put about three tablespoons of sausage drippings in your skillet on med. heat.  whisk flour into sausage grease for about 1 minute.  add 2 cups of milk and bring to a boil (raise heat if necessary).  reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes or until desired thickness (I like my gravy thick).  lastly add your smoked sausage or smoked crayfish or other meat and pour over split in half already made biscuits.  Great for dinner or breakfast, but be careful it very filling.  

I'll leave it to others to talk about your crawfish since I don't eat it that much. 

Try biscuits and gravy first....then eat some crawfish next....Lastly try some biscuits and crawfish gravy.  

Wow! you've come up with a great Idea.  Biscuits and Gravy Louisianan style.  I'm going to try that out.


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## meat hunter (Mar 30, 2009)

Hello. Well I can understand the not trying crawfish, but not trying biscuits and gravy? Well they are right, you have been missing out. Its almost criminal
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






. Well desertfox's recipe looks very good so I would try that one. 
Im not the B&G maker in our house, I leave that up to the wife. 
But the crawfish, well I can help you there. I dont know if you are able to catch them in your area. If so, get yourself a minnow trap, tie some boned chicken backs in the center and toss in a creek or lake. Check traps daily. If you do catch your own, I suggest letting them spend a few days in some fresh water. Like a kiddie pool. If you have to buy them, thats cool to. Some like to boil them, but I think that leaches allot of flavor out of them. Instead, steam them. You can add Zatarains crab boil to your water or sprinkly some Old Bay on them and steam them. Only takes a few minutes for them to cook. They will turn a nice orange red color. Some people like to suck the heads, some dont. Mostly people just remove the tail and eat. Just like a baby lobster. Prepared properly, they are delicious.


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## bigtrain74 (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks... Those both seem quite amazing! I am very excited to give this a whirl!!!


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## alblancher (Apr 2, 2009)

OOOO WEEEEE,

What do dem crawfish taste like?

Just kidding,
Crawfish take up seasonings real well so if you can imagine a small, juicy lobster boiled in salt, cayanne, lemon, garlic, and a bunch of other spices you get an idea of crawfish.  Wall Mart may have frozen crawfish that will give you an idea but you really need to come down here in the spring and give them a real try.  The season typically runs from Mardi Gras through May but they are available almost through summer.

You can do just about anything with them so buy a pack of pealed tails and make something good.  Just about every good cajun chef has recipes posted that can give you a good start.

Good luck and let me know how it comes out.

Al


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## creative rock (Apr 2, 2009)

Try cooking them as said below boiled or steamed. I have used crab boil, delicious! I have taken it a step further... Remove the meat from the tail after cooking them and cooling them down, meat usually come out in whole pieces. Put on your smoker with smoke of choice, they are great in salads, by them self, or my favorite is to make a lite tasting dip and put them in like a shrimp dip. MMMMMMM

I have smoked them up 45 to one hour keeping in mind you don't want to over do the smoke since they aren't that big.

enjoy
Matt
aka Rocky


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## teacup13 (Apr 2, 2009)

heres my take on biscuits & gravy.... 

you want to make roux out of the drippings. equal parts drippings to flour, cook the flour a little bit until it is a dark golden brown. add lots of fresh cracked black pepper. when you think you have added enough pepper, add a little more. add some heat such as dried crushed red peppers, then slowly add your milk. the gravy will not thicken until the milk heats up and starts to boil. at this point i add some hot sauce as well.

serve hot.

heres how i use to do a crawfish boil when i lived in louisiana.

IMHO, most shellfish/seafood doesn't really have a particular "flavor", rather, it takes on the flavor during preparation. I would imagine that if we cooked some crawfish with a lobster, the crawfish wouldn't have too much taste...and I'd probably dip those same crawfish into the clarified butter along with the lobster before eating them!

The best part of eating crawfish is the flavor that goes with it...and depending on who's boiling (and therefore seasoning) the crawfish, it can be merely well-seasoned, or it can get really hot and spicy! After you peel the tail and eat it, you MUST try "sucking" the head at least once...it's not gross at all, you're simply tasting the juice from the boil combined with some of the fat from the crawfish.

Also good to eat along with crawfish are the other foods that might get thrown into the pot...common foods are potatoes and small ears of corn, but I've also had bits of smoked sausage, mushrooms, and cabbage. The mushrooms were great, but the thin pieces of cabbage REALLY absorbed the spices in the boil.

A really popular tradition on Good Friday is for families to gather for crawfish boils. You can either do the boil yourself, or (as our family does) you go to your favorite seafood store and buy crawfish by the pound. We usually call ahead and reserve ours...and as with certain holidays, you can definitely expect a wait after taking your number!

After you bring them home, just spread newspaper all over a big table, dump them out and get busy eating.


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## alblancher (Apr 2, 2009)

My plans for Good Friday,

35 people from both sides of family

120 lbs Boiled crawfish with corn, potatoes, plenty of garlic, onion and lemon
20 lbs Seafood Boudin 
10 lbs seafood boudin balls
15 lbs Fried catfish fillets for poboys
5 lbs smoked cheese
Fried onion rings
potato salad
hot dogs for kids
strawberry birthday cake
Beer, wine.

and whatever everyone brings

I'm getting the cold smoke going for the cheese this weekend so I'll also smoke 10 lbs raw shrimp and some brined catfish fillets that will go in the boudin with 3 lbs crawfish tails, rice, green onions, garlic, hot peppers,


And I may also pickup a hamper of crabs to be boiled if more family shows up out of the woodwork.


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## meat hunter (Apr 2, 2009)

Damm mailman must have delivered my invitation to the wrong house..

Thats ok, just send me your address and direction and I'll be there.


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## txbbqman (Apr 2, 2009)

*alblancher...... me and you are long lost cousins RIGHT!!!!!!!   
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





What time do we eat????????
*


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## abelman (Apr 2, 2009)

Here's an idea I posted way back:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=73722

Had another one which is more New Orleans style, which we had for dinner last night. During the change, that got lost. Here's the recipe:

1 Onion, yellow or red
1 Bell Pepper
Fresh sliced Mushrooms, 8 oz.
1 Pound of cooked/thawed Crawfish Tails
2 cans of French Onion Soup
1 can of Cream of Celery Soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 stick of unsalted Butter

Sautee the diced onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. I add some oregano, cumin and parsley. While you’re doing this, add the 4 cans of soup in a large pot. Mix well and set on Med heat for an hour, stirring every so often. At first, it doesn’t look so good but it takes some time. It will also look very thick. Don’t worry as once it’s all finished, it will be fine.

Then, mix the tails in and set at low heat. I add some smoked Kung Pao ground pepper as well as some Sriracha sauce to taste. Just depends on the heat level you’re looking for. Cover and let simmer for 30-60 minutes.

We add some dirty rice on the side or it can be mixed in as well. Garlic bread to boot.


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## oillogger (Apr 2, 2009)

I really do not think you will like crawfish at all.  After all they are just odd looking lobster like critters that love living in the mud.  They are also called mudbugs because of this.  Heck, we have to season the dog out of them and add a whole bunch of other items such as potatoes and corn just so we can bring ourselves to eat them.  Crawfish are so awful tasting we alway drink plenty of beer when eating them just to cover up their taste.  It would best for you to just forget about them.  Hey, we will do you a supreme favor just eating them all for you so that you do not have to put one of those nasty crawfish in your mouth.  We will even take care of sucking the heads and that is the worst part.  Aren't we such swell buddies?  Yes we are.  Well, it looks like I will be of service to you this weekend again by eating some more of those awful tasting crawfish.


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## black_dog (Apr 2, 2009)

Hi; When I was in college we found a small clear river near the college where crayfish were introduced in the early 1940,s. Very nice, dove with face masks and took only the ones about 6 or 7" long got 1 1/2  5 gallon buckets full.  We broke off the tails and claws a put them in salted boiling water. Cooked until they turned pink and ate with lemon and butter can't be beat. Tasted just like a lobster. They came out of clear water.  If out of muddy water they say to keep them in clean water for a while or put in salted water to force them to poop out the junk inside them.  When I was a kid, we would catch them in muddy water and would just cook whole and eat tails and claws.  Makes a great crab type dip.


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## morkdach (Apr 2, 2009)

oh yea i'm txbbqman long lost sibling i'll be there just when do we eat


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## creative rock (Apr 2, 2009)

LMAO... Sounds like something I would do for a friend :D


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## oillogger (Apr 3, 2009)

Yup, pinching the tails and sucking the heads on a big sack of nasty, muddy, crawfish is ultimate sacrifice for a friend.  I just hate the sound they make when you pour the live crawfish into that 20 gallon pot of highly seasoned boiling water.  Boy if PETA could hear their hundreds of tiny crawfish voices screaming their last breaths out.  That reminds me, I'm out of propane.


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## creative rock (Apr 3, 2009)

Hmmmm, sounds like a good recording for youtube... label it "For PETA SAKES" 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Matt
AKA Rocky

just a lil note... I love all living creatures, but some are more delicious than others and I thank God every chance I get when my table has a great bounty for friends and family!


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## irish (Apr 3, 2009)

I like my crabs steamed but I think shrimp and crawfish are best boiled!

Shrimp Boil
4 lbs. deheaded shrimp (or crawfish)
8 to 10 ears of sweet corn
8 to 10 med. red potatoes, unpeeled
2 pkgs. (4 lbs.) smoked Hillshire Farm sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
(I have used the cheesy Lil Smokies too, instead of sausage)
1 Zatarain's Crab & Shrimp Boil Bag
2 tbsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
melted butter for dipping

Use a large enough pot to hold everything, like a turkey fryer. We do this outside on a propane jet burner. Fill the pot about halfway with water and bring to a boil. Toss in the Boil Bag, red pepper, the potatoes and the sausage and boil for 20 mins or until the potatoes are almost fork tender. Add the corn and the shrimp and boil for 10 more minutes. Drain off the water and dump the pot onto a picnic table covered with newspapers.

Feeds 6-8 people well.


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## cajunsmoke13 (Apr 4, 2009)

Come on down.  I'm boiling up 3 sacks in a couple of hours.  Also, picked up 70 pounds of fresh gulf shrimp yesterday.  People do crawfish all different ways


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## cajunsmoke13 (Apr 5, 2009)

Here are some of mine from yesterday. Lots add a bunch to their's, lemons, seasning bags, etc.  I add my Swamp Dust. Add seasoning to water, bring to boil, add crawfish, bring to boil again. Let it boil 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, to the cooler. Dust the crawfish with more Swamp Dust. Let it steam in the cooler for 20 minutes.  Always come out good and no complaints. Wife and kids don't like the corn and potatoes reall spicy so I do them in another pot. I'll throw a few for me in the boil water after I am done with the crawfish. 1.59/pound right now. Not very big yet. Everyone does them different. One friend boils them in straight water and adds seasoning after...not very good.

Swamp Dust


Purging the crawfish



Crawfish boiling



To the cooler for a little rest


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## chisoxjim (Apr 15, 2009)

crawfish, one of my favorite things there is. To me they taste like mini lobsters. Living in the CHicago area I only get to about 4-5 crawfish boils each spring. SO far I have been to two, and plan on at least a few more.

The last I went to they used a zatarains shrimp boil, red potatoes, onion, mushrooms heads of garlic, corn, and sausage in their boil. THe  boiled corn rubbed with the boiled heads of garlic was a pleasant surprise. The first batch was very good, but by the last batch the flavor from all the previous crawfish was in the boil/broth, and they were excellent. 



























the 1st - 3rd pick was from a boil the weekend of March 21st. $20 all you can eat.

the last pic was from a boil a couple of weeks earlier 4 lbs for a little over $20 with a cup of Gumbo.

slainte


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## alblancher (Apr 15, 2009)

I don't know what crawfish cost in Chicago but I would imagine Cajunsmoke and I could put a hurt on you guys at all you can eat for $20.00.

Al


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## alblancher (Apr 15, 2009)

Cajunsmoke,

Do you know any two people that boil crawfish the same way?

Al


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## chisoxjim (Apr 15, 2009)

The place is having another boil the last weekend in May, this time $25 for crawfish, and some cajun/creole items. ayce. 


Live crawfish arnt cheap, you have to get them flown up, but this place is a bar so they can offset the low price & ayce offer in other ways.

I think had my $20 worth when I was there this time, easily 5#, and that was on a partially full stomach after having an alligator sausage, and some duck fat fries from Hot Dougs before heading over there. That and I still had room for a Philly Steak after leaving & heading back home from CHicago around 6 p.m..


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## alblancher (Apr 15, 2009)

Duckfat Fries?

Initial impression is that I'll have to pass on that which is something you hear very seldom in S. LA

Al


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## cajunsmoke13 (Apr 15, 2009)

Alblancher, you are right.  $20 all you can eat.  Man, that would be out some crawfish if you and I went up there and ate some.  Everyone does them their own way and everyone says their way is the best.  Some soak, some steam, some use a cooler, some don't.  Down to $1.49 a pound now.  Daughter's b-day coming up soon.  Plan on doing 200 pounds.


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## chisoxjim (Apr 16, 2009)

french fries deep fried in duck fat. damn good, crispy, and packed with flavor..

heres a pick of the dusk fat fries and the alligator sausage with cajun remoulade, and smoked gouda:


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## alblancher (Apr 16, 2009)

Duck Fat Fries and Smoked Gouda on alligator sausage.  I never heard of such a thing.  Think I'll go put ketchup on a hot dog.

Al


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## chisoxjim (Apr 16, 2009)

ketchup on a dog, now that just doesnt happen in Chicago unless you are 4 years old or under.


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## chisoxjim (Apr 16, 2009)

my bad veering off topic.

crawfish in Chicagoland are about $4.50+ at the stores already cooked(not what I want).  Getting some live ones flown in the price goes up near $7.00/lb.  with shipping.

Thats why the crawfish boils @ Toons, and @ Cajun COnnection are a great deal.


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## mballi3011 (Apr 16, 2009)

Crawfish are little baby lobsters. boil with water, zaterans crawfish boil, fresh garlic gloves, paprika, cumin, and a beer (ok maybe a few beers) only boil for about 8 to 10 minutes. DON"T OVER COOK them you'll never get them out of the shell. Cook potatoes and corn first then the bugs. pour out on cardboard box and then devour and atleast try sucking the heads lots of GOOOOOOD favor in there.


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## zapper (Apr 17, 2009)

I got a Chineseses (SP?) restraunt down the road that has them out on the buffet. They do them up not too spicey and with a pretty good hint of ginger, they have had a couple of bad nights and a couple of great nights but usually they are pretty consistant at slightly above average in taste and not being over cooked (You can still tell that they are frozen imports)


As far as sucking the heads goes, I have to admit that the heads taste better than the tails. The kid don't do the heads so I get all of his too!


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## bigtrain74 (Apr 25, 2009)

Ladies & Gents.......

I just made it back from Florida... Yea, a 19 hours drive down there and another 19 hours drive back... Driving down rather then flying down was a HUGE mistake on my part... But none the less I got to have my first crawfish and biscuits and gravy...

I LOVED IT ALL!!!!!!

The bad thing is that I ate them both within the first 2 days... My vacation was complete at this point... I had not much more to look forward to except the next nights meal... Then the next!!!

I am now hooked!!! 

Thanks everyone!!!


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## chisoxjim (Apr 29, 2009)

just a heads up for those in Chicagoland, or west of Chicago, there is a crawfish boil this weekend out @ Cajun Connection in Utica, IL. Typically Ron(a good ol' boy from Louisiana) gets a few hundred pounds of crawfish from his home state, and sells them for around $25 for 4 lbs. including a cup of his gumbo. I am not affiliated in any way with Cajun COnnection, just a big fan of his crawfish, gumbo,and alligator, & I have been to 5 of his boils, and they are top notch.

I will be too busy on the smoker this weekend to get over there, but I thought I would share the info for other mud bug fans.

www.ronscajunconnection.com


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## cajunsmoke13 (Apr 29, 2009)

Sounds like a good time.  Looks like he has some good grub at his restaurant.


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## smokingscooby (Apr 30, 2009)

Hey chisoxjim, 
Where is this place at? if ya don't mind sharing.


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## chisoxjim (May 1, 2009)

Toons Bar and Grill on Southport in Chicago,

I talked with owner Danny @ a Chicagoland BBQ gettogether on Monday, and he was thinking the weekend of the 24th will be their next boil.  Danny is a bbq guy, and a great host.  

I'll post a follow up when I get the exact date.


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## chisoxjim (May 18, 2009)

just as a follow up,  I got word from Danny @ Toons Bar today that he has ordered up 800 Lbs of crawfish for this Sunday 5/24/2009.  $25 a.y.c.e.  Also red beans and rice, muffeleta, and $4 Abita ambers.  Starts at noon.

I cant make it(the CFO, my wife, said no), but I  had a blast at the last one.

Danny(the owner) is a bbq guy as well.

Toons Bar
3857 N. Southport
Chicago, IL.
773-935-1919


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## shooterrick (May 19, 2009)

Few weeks ago we boiled 300 lbs of mudbugs, with potatoes and cob corn.  Louisiana crawfish boil is my choice, the powdered or the oil or some of both.  MMMMM Just follow the directions after perging the critters in fresh water and salt.


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