Boiled crayfish: recipes for how to deliciously cook {live} crayfish at home

Summer season! How can we do without the sweetness itself? Boiled crayfish is a delicacy that any gourmet will appreciate. How to properly cook, cook and eat this magic? What secrets and subtleties do you need to know? Which crayfish are suitable for true deliciousness? Read the most interesting and useful things in this article for us.

Regardless, my soul and stomach prefer shrimp, mussels and crayfish. There are no moral problems with mussels and shrimp, but as for making crayfish, this issue is a little spicy, so you need to cook them {alive}. In other words, you only need to acquire them {alive} and already during the manufacturing process they bring their life to the altar of cooking. The cooking process itself is not for the faint of heart!

Crayfish - how to choose them correctly for cooking

First and most important, it is worth asking where they were caught. Advice! If crayfish are caught in fresh lakes or artificial reservoirs, then this is not a good choice. After all, the water is stagnant, which means a huge number of microbes;

They should be: active (those that try to pinch, move rapidly, the main sign is a tucked tail);

Color of the freshest product: brown or green;

The surface of the freshest element should not have any cracks.

Boiled crayfish: how to cook this delicacy at home

Before getting down to work, you need to go through some stages of preparing the product.

At first, the food should be placed in cool water. You can also put it in milk, so the crayfish meat will be more tender;

After this, wash, removing all dirt and silt. It must be washed thoroughly, since these are bottom-dwelling creatures, and there is plenty of dirt there. Attention must be directed to the abdomen, this is one of the most vulnerable parts;

Advice! You can wear gloves and use an unnecessary toothbrush.

How long to cook crayfish

It all depends on the size of the arthropods. Small individuals - up to 20 minutes, medium ones - half an hour, and large ones - 40 or more. If overcooked, the flesh will be hard. The dominance of a catchy color indicates the readiness of the dish.

Crayfish: a traditional recipe for making

There are a lot of methods for cooking arthropods. Boiled crayfish are also prepared in milk, kvass, and other liquids. It all depends on desire. And the spices are the same.

Ingredients:

A kilogram of head raw materials;
Three liters of water;
Four huge spoons of salt;
Several pieces of laurel;
A bunch of dill;
A couple of peppercorns;
Lemon.

Manufacturing steps

1. Pour liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil

2. Throw in all the spices;

3. After a couple of minutes, you can put food into the boiling liquid;

4. Cook until cooked, until it acquires a catchy color.

A couple of practical tips and secrets with boiled crayfish

1. The container for making boiled crayfish must be quite large and roomy. Therefore, as individuals begin to crawl away and run away. The more water, the better the product will cook. They will cook well, soaked in spices and herbs. Advice! There is no need to fill the pan to the top, otherwise the product will not be cooked;

2. You shouldn’t skimp on salt. Since the shell of cancer does not allow the substance to pass through. Impeccable calculation: per liter of water - a tablespoon of loose powder;

3. Place the arthropods into the pan using kitchen tongs. This way they won’t hurt your hands, fingers or pinch you. Again it is worth saying that individuals must be {alive} and active;

4. When the indicated time has passed and the crayfish are cooked, you need to turn off the fire and throw the units in the pan for 15 minutes. This will make the meat much juicier and tastier. In addition, the elements will be saturated with spices, which will give an unusual smell.

5. When the crayfish have been boiled, you can add sour cream and butter to them, and leave them covered in boiling water for another 15 minutes;

After such actions, the boiled crayfish can be transferred to a huge dish and the meal can begin.

Crayfish in wine or wine crayfish

List of required products:

Crayfish: 30 pieces;
Parsley, dill, celery: one bunch each;
Butter: 100 grams;
Sour cream: a couple of tablespoons;
Snow-white wine, dry: two-thirds glasses.

Stewed crayfish in wine - the process itself

1. Wash the crayfish individually under running water, and then boil until tender in slightly salty, bubbling water. Peel and place the pulp separately on a plate.

2. Place the shells in a mortar and pound until small crumbs form. Set aside.

3. Prepare a saucepan and put a piece of butter in it. Place on the stove and heat the oil over medium heat.

4. Place all the greens in one common bunch and thoroughly wash and dry with towels. Finely chop and place in a saucepan. Stirring, simmer for about four minutes, add crayfish meat, then shell powder. Stir and simmer, reducing heat to low, covering with a lid, for about 10 minutes.

Crayfish boiled in beer (video)

The recipe, like the crayfish themselves, is very simple. Availability of foam is a must!

How to eat boiled crayfish to feel the full taste of this dish

First you need to detach the legs and claws. You should squeeze the contents directly into your mouth. Believe me, you shouldn't reject it. There is a lot of meat in these parts;

Big claws are great. They can be nibbled on the sides or cut off. There is quite a lot of edible stuff in the middle;

Now we need to cut it up. This needs to be done scrupulously. It's worth trying the shell broth. It is not only tasty, but also extremely aesthetic;

Then you need to separate the head from the chest. Later it is necessary to pull back the shell, it will burst at the edges and then she will be free;

These parts of the carcass also contain what they eat;

Now the belly or neck. How to cut it? First you need to tear off the tail feathers and drink the broth from under the shell. It is better to separate the triangles with special tools, just like you can prick your fingers;

Having divided the shell, what remains is the neck. Now you can enjoy the most delicious meat.

Cancers - what else to pay attention to

Freshness: dead units are a second poisoning;
Size: Larger raki tastes better;
Catch period: a better product is individuals caught in the spring;
Contents: Live crayfish cannot be stored for long.

Boiled crayfish is a delicacy that will amuse and amaze with its unsurpassed taste. It all depends on the manufacturing method and the spices added. You should also familiarize yourself with how to eat such a dish correctly. Only then can you enjoy the real smell of such a unique dish!

Boiled crayfish

Boiled crayfish are a snack for real gourmets. In Russia, a crayfish dish has always received special honor and respect. It seems simple to prepare boiled crayfish, but at the same time you need to follow a number of rules, starting from the selection of raw materials to cooking and in the process itself.

This is interesting!

In Old Rus', in August (the season for catching crayfish), joyful crayfish feasts were held: participants had to walk backwards and sing songs, pronounce words opposite, i.e. starting with the outermost letters and lines.

Preparation

First and main rule: only {live} crayfish are boiled. It is not allowed to cook the dead - you need to throw them away, otherwise you will get poisoned.

The best indicator of quality is the size of the crayfish: the larger it is, the better the meat. Gourmets especially value crayfish from the spring catch: it is believed that their meat is more tasty (although in some regions there may be a ban on catching crayfish at this time).

Before cooking, the crayfish must be kept in cool, unstained water (in a large basin, bath, etc.) so that they are cleared of silt and dirt. The standard is to clean it with a brush, while firmly grasping the crayfish by the back.

This is interesting!

Thick-fingered crayfish are considered more tasty, but now they are found occasionally, and in Belarus and Ukraine this species is listed in the Red Book. In Russia, the thick-clawed crayfish is not yet included in the Red Book, but it is becoming less common due to pollution of water bodies.

Boiled crayfish: traditional recipe

Cooks use crayfish in sauces, soups, and salads. Crayfish are boiled in wine, beer, milk. But true connoisseurs of boiled crayfish say that this is exactly the option when there is no need to “be smart” and it is better to follow the slogan: “Everything excellent is simple!” Specifically, just boil the crayfish in water with a traditional set of seasonings.

So, the traditional recipe.

Ingredients for 1 kg

1 kg of crayfish;
3 liters of water;
3 tbsp. salt;
1 onion;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
0.5 tsp dark peppercorns;
1 bunch of ripe dill with an umbrella or dry dill seeds (1-1.5 tbsp).

You can also add parsley root and carrots if desired.

But an indispensable condition is the presence of dry dill with seeds - without it, the taste of crayfish is “not the same.” In addition, dill perfectly eliminates the smell of mud.

Salt is always taken at the rate of: 1 tbsp. per liter of water. From time to time, when cooking crayfish for beer, the amount of salt is slightly increased.

In order for the finished crayfish to “shine,” you can add vegetable oil to the water during cooking.

How to cook crayfish

Boil water in a large saucepan. After boiling, add all the seasonings.
Place the crayfish head down into boiling water, holding them by the back.
Cook for 8-15 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size of the crayfish: small ones can be cooked for 5-7 minutes, and large ones for 12-15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the crayfish sit and salt in the broth for at least 30 minutes. You can keep the crayfish longer: let them cool completely in the broth for 1-2 hours.

The crayfish are served on a plate (often with crushed ice). In addition, reddish caviar and sour cream can be served.

Bon appetit!

Boiled crayfish are not stored, so they are eaten immediately after preparation. Crayfish can be stored in the refrigerator in the same broth in which they were boiled for a maximum of 12 hours.

Alternatively, boiled crayfish are stored in the freezer, but not for more than 1 month. And naturally, the taste will still be inferior compared to freshly brewed ones.

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

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

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

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 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

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.

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.

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.

Take note

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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.

Remember

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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.