How to properly cook crayfish at home; 5 best recipes for making boiled crayfish

How to properly cook crayfish at home - 5 best recipes for making boiled crayfish

Hello, my dear readers of Mother Alla’s blog from Saratov! Probably, almost all of you love to eat boiled crayfish, but are not always satisfied with how they turned out.

And if you decided to cook them for the first time, then you will have a huge number of questions: how long to cook, how much salt to put, what else to put in the water so that they come out unusually tasty? You will find answers to these and other questions in this article. Now we will cook crayfish at home.

How to properly cook {live} crayfish for beer?

Over the weekend, my family and I went to the village, and there my husband caught a bountiful catch on the river! They taste a little like shrimp, which I also like to eat.

Let's figure out how to cook them so that the meat comes out soft, juicy and has that unique taste and smell. Let's highlight the main points:

Specimens should only be boiled {alive}.
We definitely wash them in two steps: first we rinse them under running water, in this way we wash off the main dirt and silt from them, and then we leave them for some time in a basin, where they clean themselves, because they rub against each other. You can also perfectly clean the dirt using an ordinary toothbrush that is unnecessary for you.
Place the crayfish only in boiling water.
It is necessary to salt the water at the rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 1 liter of water.
After boiling, cook for small 5 minutes, medium – 10 minutes, large – 15 minutes, but not more.

When boiling, onions, garlic cloves, bay leaves and dried dill with seeds in the form of “umbrellas” are added to the water; it gives a unique taste and smell.

Is it possible to cook frozen crayfish and how to do it correctly?

According to the rules, they are only boiled {alive}, but you can cook them if they were frozen {alive}. How can you check this? And you can check this: if the tail is straight, it means the cancer was already frozen dead, it is better to throw it away, because it contains a lot of toxins, if the tail is bent under the abdomen, everything is fine. These can be cooked.

The choice of how to prepare such crayfish depends on the form in which they were frozen - {live} or already boiled.

If they were boiled earlier, then after boiling they should be cooked for 2 - 3 minutes, not more.

If they are caught and immediately frozen, then they must first be thawed, and only then cooked for 15 - 20 minutes. It is not recommended to defrost the product using a microwave oven or other kitchen appliances - this will cause the finished meat to lose its unique taste.

After defrosting, wash well and cook according to your favorite recipe. Don't forget to let them steep in the broth for 20 - 30 minutes. Bon appetit!

Cooking crayfish at home with salt and dill - the usual recipe

It is very important that they be {alive}, because if you do not catch it yourself, but buy it at the market, check by touching it, it should move.

In dead individuals, toxins rapidly accumulate in the meat (Toxin in ancient Greek (toxikos) - poisonous - poison of biological origin) , which are very harmful to health, therefore they should not be cooked under any circumstances.

Let's cook crayfish according to this recipe.

For production we will need:

Live crayfish - 1 - 2 kg.
Water - 5 - 6 l.
Dill or dill seeds
Bay leaf
Salt - to taste

Manufacturing method step by step:

First, carefully wash the crayfish in running water.

Place a pan of water on the fire, add salt, bay leaf and dill. We wait until the water boils.

Place them in boiling water and cook for 10 - 15 minutes.

Then close the pan with a lid and let it brew for 20 - 30 minutes. We take them out and put them on a plate. Bon appetit!

Boiled crayfish for the holiday with corn

Those who love seafood will certainly appreciate this unique recipe - with corn on the cob and fragrant spices. This dish will fit best into your festive table, and guests will note the unusual taste of crayfish.

Take:

Cancers
Water
Corn
Salt, spices, bay leaf - to taste

Manufacturing method step by step:

Step 1. Pour water into the pan and put it on fire. Add salt, dark peppercorns, coriander and garlic. Also add bay leaf and sliced lemon.

Step 2. As soon as the water boils, place the ears of corn, cut into 2-3 pieces, into the pan.

Step 3. Cook the corn until it is tender - 10 - 15 minutes. Then put the previously washed crayfish there and cook for another 5 minutes. Carefully drain the water and place everything back into the pan.

Step 4. Cover it with a clean towel and a lid, let the crayfish stand and soak in the smell and juice for a few more minutes.

Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs. Bon appetit!

How to properly cook crayfish at home - a recipe from Konstantin Ivlev

I bring to your attention another fascinating method - this is a recipe from chef Konstantin Ivlev. It says that before cooking you need to thoroughly clean them with a brush and remove the food tract, because a lot of dirt accumulates there. Perhaps some may not think this is very good, but it affects the taste of the crayfish, so whether to remove the food tract or not is up to you, my dears.

Let's start the process itself, and for this we need to take:

Cancers
Lemon
Salt
Fresh dill, dried and dill seeds
Peppercorns and ground
Bay leaf
Beer - 1 glass
Butter - 1 tbsp. spoon

Manufacturing method step by step:

Step 1. Put a pan of water on the fire, add salt, spices, lemon cut into 4 pieces, and pour in a glass of beer. It is necessary to salt the water at the rate of 1 liter = 1 tbsp. spoon of salt. Cook the broth for 5 minutes.

Step 2. Then lower the {live} cooked crayfish, cook for 10 minutes, at the end add a tablespoon of butter.

Step 3. Let it brew in the broth for 20 - 30 minutes.

Step 4. Remove with tongs and place in a cuvette or on a plate. Bon appetit!

How to store {live} crayfish at home if you don’t cook them right away?

There are two storage methods: dry and aqua. I’ll tell you about any of them in more detail.

With the dry method, crayfish are placed in a cold space, for example, in a cellar, garage or on a glassed-in balcony. For a certain number of days they can completely do without water. Place a damp blanket on the bottom of the plastic container and cover it with damp gauze. It is not allowed to close the lid, because arthropods need air. At the same time, they need to be sprayed with water from time to time, so they will last longer. With this storage method, they can remain {alive} for about a week.

The aqua method allows you to preserve crayfish much longer, but it is the most troublesome. With all this, they must be placed in a huge container of water, for example, it could be a vat or an unnecessary baby bath. You need to change the water once a day, but it is better that the water is at room temperature. If there is a river near you, of course, it will be perfect; if not, you need to pour water in advance and let it sit, as for indoor plants. If you want to store them for longer than a week, take care of feeding them. Raw potatoes, pea pods, and hay are suitable.

Not all individuals will survive long-term captivity; remove the dead immediately, because corpses poison the water.

Either method is troublesome, but thanks to this you will be able to eat the freshest delicacy for several days.

Video on how to catch crayfish using a crayfish trap

While I was writing this article for you, I found a good video on the Internet and decided to share it with you. Very exciting and useful.

He tells us what baits to use for fishing, how and where to place crayfish traps so that there is a sure catch.

Do you like boiled crayfish? Maybe you have your own cooking recipe, I will be very glad if you share it with me in the comments. Have a nice day and see you on my blog!

How and how much to cook {live} crayfish

Recipes

Cancers

You only need to cook {live} crayfish!

Even experienced people make mistakes from time to time when cooking crayfish. Therefore, quite often, crayfish meat comes out of the wrong mixture and does not have exactly the “right” taste. Those who have never cooked crayfish actually always cook crayfish incorrectly.

When purchasing or after a successful fishing trip, when you have crayfish and want to cook them, for example, at home or outdoors. Always remember. That you only need to boil {live} crayfish! Never cook dead crayfish. This is very unsafe and can lead to sad consequences. Crayfish in most cases feed on carrion and when they fall asleep, they produce harmful substances that can harm human health. Whenever you cook crayfish, inspect them to see if they are alive or not.

Let's look at the following questions:

How to cook crayfish perfectly;
How to cook crayfish correctly
How long should you cook crayfish?
How to salt;
What needs to be added to crayfish besides salt;
Is it possible to boil {live} crayfish.

Let's start with the answer to the last question: crayfish should only be boiled {alive} by dipping them into already boiling water - this is more humane, but it is absolutely prohibited to cook dead crayfish.

How long to cook crayfish?

Cook the crayfish right! The best time to cook boiled crayfish is 20 minutes, remove the crayfish from the water before serving, then the crayfish will be juicy

Small - 10 minutes;
Medium - 15 minutes;
Large - 20 minutes.
Small and medium crayfish are cooked for 10-15 minutes, large ones for 20 minutes. It is not permissible to overcook crayfish; this will cause harm to the meat mixture. Depending on the amount of salt in the water, the crayfish are allowed to steep in cooling water for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

How much salt should I add when boiling crayfish?

The amount of salt that is used for boiling crayfish is calculated based on the size of the water: for one liter of water, take one heaped tablespoon of salt - this is a small amount of salt. This amount of salt is taken with the expectation that after cooking, the crayfish will infuse for some time in the water in which they were boiled.

If there is no time to infuse, or you want to get a little more salty crayfish, the amount of salt increases, but not dramatically - for example, by 5 liters. water, you can add 6-7 tablespoons of salt instead of 5.

What to season boiled crayfish with?

Onions and garlic cloves are added to the crayfish, but the main ingredient is dried dill with seeds in the form of “umbrellas”.

Cooking crayfish according to a traditional recipe

Live crayfish - 2.5 - 3 kg;
Water – 6-7 l.;
Salt – 6-7 tbsp.
spoon; A large bunch of ripe dill with umbrellas or dill seeds - 3-4 tbsp.
spoons; Onions – 1 large onion;
Garlic – 4-7 cloves;
Dark peppercorns – 1 teaspoon;
Butter – 50 gr.
Butter and dark pepper are added as desired; onions and garlic can also be dispensed with, but mature dill or dill seeds must be included.

A sufficient amount of water is poured into the container in which the crayfish will be boiled and placed on fire;
After the water boils, add salt to the water, add peeled and cut onions and crushed garlic cloves;
Alive crayfish are lowered head down into boiling water;
Add dill or dill seeds;
Everything is cooked for 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the crayfish;
Turn off the heat and let the crayfish brew and salt for 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the amount of salt and the required salinity of the finished crayfish.

Recipe for making boiled crayfish for beer

The saltiest crayfish is prepared for beer, so we add another 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the traditional recipe. By adding salt to the water, we also reduce the time allotted for salting the crayfish after cooking.

After the crayfish have been boiled and stood in the water for 15-20 minutes, they can be tasted for saltiness, and if it suits you, the crayfish can be served.

Fundamental points in making boiled crayfish:

Cancer must be {alive};
It is necessary to lower the crayfish only into boiling water;
It is better to add a little salt to the water if salt is added at the rate of 1 tbsp.
a heaped spoon per 1 liter of water, the crayfish should be infused for 2-4 hours, depending on the size; Without ripe dill with seed umbrellas, the crayfish will turn out tasteless;
It is necessary to cook large crayfish for no more than 15 minutes, and for small ones, 10 minutes.

How and how much to cook crayfish so that they come out juicy

Cook in water, beer or milk - it will be delicious.

How to choose crayfish

First, make sure the crayfish are alive. If they are not active and do not move, it is better to abandon them. Another sign of a living cancer is that if you bend the tail, it again presses against the abdomen. If it just remains spread out, most likely the cancer is not fresh enough.

Choose only {live} crayfish, check each one before making it. Photo: Laures/Depositphotos

You should not boil dead crayfish. If the product is not fresh, it is unsafe because the crayfish quickly begins to disintegrate. This may cause food poisoning.

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How to cook crayfish

To begin, place the crayfish in a basin or bucket. Fill with water at room temperature and leave for an hour.

Afterwards, wash under running water. If crayfish are covered in sand, silt and other contaminants, use a brush to scrub everything off. Otherwise, the finished dish will not have a very pleasant taste.

Washed crayfish can be additionally soaked in milk. This way their meat will be more tender and juicy. To do this, pour the crayfish with full-fat milk so that they are completely covered and leave for half an hour. Afterwards, wash well under running water.

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How long to cook crayfish

Depending on the size of the crayfish, cook for 8–20 minutes. Please note that time is counted from the moment the water boils again.

Try not to overcook the product on the stove, otherwise the meat will not be as tasty. The readiness of a dish can be determined by its color: cooked crayfish turn bright red.

When the crayfish are cooked, leave them to steep in the broth.

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What do you need to cook crawfish?

The traditional option is to make it in water, but instead you can also use milk or a mixture of water and light beer in equal quantities. An average of 2.5–3 liters of water is needed per kilogram of crayfish. For cooking, choose a huge deep pan. Pour the liquid so that it takes up approximately half the volume.

Usually, when boiling crayfish in water, milk or beer, a bunch of fresh dill is added - it is better if it comes with umbrellas. Also add salt, approximately 1 tablespoon per liter of water. You can also add a few peas of black and aromatic pepper, and a bay leaf. When boiling crayfish in water, from time to time add a whole onion and carrots, an apple cut into pieces, black currant leaves and a teaspoon of honey. All this will help create the dish even more delicious and fragrant.

When the boiled crayfish are infused in the broth, you can add about 50–100 g of butter. This makes the meat even more tender, with a pleasant creamy taste.

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How to boil crayfish in water

Boil the water. Add salt, a bunch of dill and other ingredients to your taste. Wait a couple of minutes and carefully immerse the crayfish in boiling water. Try to hold them by the backs so as not to injure your hands, and lower them head down. If you are cooking for the first time, use a towel or oven mitts for safety.

Boiled crayfish. Photo: OksanaYasiuchenia / Depositphotos

Cook small crayfish for 8–10 minutes, medium ones for about 15 minutes, and large ones for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, be sure to leave it to steep under the lid for 15 minutes.

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How to boil crayfish in beer

Take light beer and water in equal proportions. Boil in a large saucepan, add salt, dill and other spices to your taste. After a few minutes, lower the crayfish into the boiling liquid one at a time, trying to keep them head down.

Small ones will be ready in 8-10 minutes, medium ones in 15 minutes, and large ones will need 20 minutes. Then leave the crayfish covered for another 15–30 minutes.

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How to boil crayfish in milk

Boil milk in a saucepan. Add salt, dill and other spices if using. After a few minutes, drop the crayfish into the boiling liquid one at a time, holding them head down.

Cook for the same time as in ordinary water: 8–10 minutes for small ones, 15 minutes for medium ones and 20 minutes for large ones. After cooking, leave covered for 15–30 minutes.

How to cook crayfish correctly and deliciously

Even experienced people make mistakes from time to time when cooking crayfish - as a result, the crayfish meat comes out of the wrong mixture and does not have exactly the “right” taste. Those who have never cooked crayfish do everything incorrectly.

The most common questions people ask are:

How to cook crayfish perfectly;
How long should you cook crayfish?
How to salt;
What needs to be added to crayfish besides salt;
Is it possible to boil {live} crayfish.

How to cook crayfish

How long to cook crayfish

It is necessary to cook the crayfish for no more than 15 minutes.

Small - 5 minutes;
Medium - 10 minutes;
Large - 15 minutes.

Small and medium crayfish are cooked for 5–10 minutes, large ones for 15 minutes. It is not permissible to overcook crayfish; this will cause harm to the meat mixture. Depending on the amount of salt in the water, the crayfish are allowed to steep in cooling water for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

How much salt

What spices and seasonings can be added

Onions and garlic cloves are added to the crayfish, but the main ingredient is dried dill with seeds in the form of “umbrellas”.

Without dill and its seeds, “that” taste of crayfish will not be obtained, while the freshest dill does not give the appropriate taste and smell.

Traditional recipe

Ingredients:

Live crayfish - 2.5 - 3 kg;
Water – 6-7 l.;
Salt – 6-7 tbsp. spoon;
A large bunch of ripe dill with umbrellas or dill seeds - 3-4 tbsp. spoons;
Onions – 1 large onion;
Garlic – 4-7 cloves;
Dark peppercorns – 1 teaspoon;
Butter – 50 gr.

Butter and dark pepper are added as desired; onions and garlic can also be dispensed with, but mature dill or dill seeds must be included.

Manufacturing:

Before production, crayfish must be thoroughly washed.

A sufficient amount of water is poured into the container in which the crayfish will be boiled and placed on fire;
After the water boils, add salt to the water, add peeled and cut onions and crushed garlic cloves;
Alive crayfish are lowered head down into boiling water;
Add dill or dill seeds;
Everything is cooked for 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the crayfish;
Turn off the heat and let the crayfish brew and salt for 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the amount of salt and the required salinity of the finished crayfish.

Cancer to beer

After the crayfish have been boiled and stood in the water for 15-20 minutes, they can be tasted for saltiness, and if it suits you, the crayfish can be served.

Finally

If you catch crayfish on your own, find out which bait is best for attracting crayfish - this works in crayfish traps both in summer and winter.

Fundamental points in making boiled crayfish:

Cancer must be {alive};
It is necessary to lower the crayfish only into boiling water;
It is better to add a little salt to the water if salt is added at the rate of 1 tbsp. a heaped spoon per 1 liter of water, the crayfish should be infused for 2-4 hours, depending on the size;
Without ripe dill with seed umbrellas, the crayfish will turn out tasteless;
It is necessary to cook large crayfish for no more than 15 minutes, and for small ones, 10 minutes.

Watch the entire crayfish making process in the video: