Just tasted three crawfish tails for the first time. They were frozen, cooked in seasonings,

F

florisandy

Well-known member
and sold on ice at a local fishmonger. The fishmonger caught my fascination and asked if I needed help. I asked him if they're good to nibble on like shrimp and he replied that they're best fresh and actually tried to steer me away from them but gave me a mini education. Of course he didn't know where I might be able to buy any in Florida but said that they can be purchased online. He mentioned Alton Brown's segment on them and I remember the painstaking time it took just to clean and soak the little buggers in big coolers.

I cooked the handful of free samples he gave me for about 1.5 minutes in the remaining time left that I boiled some shrimp tonight. Such tiny, tiny little lobster-like tails. I didn't dare try the "other" half because it grossed me out with all of the gooky stuff (okay, hold your laughter folks LOL).

I had a crawfish cake that was similar to a crabcake at the White Dog Cafe in Philly that was quite tasty but that's the only other time I've ever tasted them.

Tonight's daring adventure left me disappointed but the young fishmonger warned me so. Does anyone here really like these and are they REALLY worth the effort of cleaning and shelling for nibbling on or using for dishes such as gumbo?

http://tour.airstreamlife.com/weblog/Ft%20Morgan%20crawfish.jpg

 
Sandy, I have a very long history with crawfish, and yes, they are worth the effort...

They are a pain in the a** to purge and clean yourself. Cooking them ala the crawfish boil as shown in your photo is not particularly offensive (although I tend to get a headache from sniffing the fumes from the boil---could it be the beer? ;-0) My biggest complaint about crawfish boils is that after I peel and teach so many tyros, it seems as though I peel four and eat one. If you are hungry, you can peel for three hours and still be hungry. I have been fortunate to receive bagsfull of cooked crawfish when the boils are over that I can take home and peel at my leisure. Crawfish etoufee is one of the greatest dishes of all time. It's definitely worth the effort, but peeling and eating from a fresh boil is for experienced folks. Until you do it enough to get adept, it will not be a fun experience.

 
When my boys were much younger we all went to cub scout camp in the mountains...

...north and east of Phoenix. Big pine tree forests with streams running through them.

The boys had a contest to see who could catch the biggest crawfish from the streams. There were about 200 boys in camp, so they caught quite a few of the little buggers.

The camp cooking staff shelled, cleaned and cooked up the crawfish tails and put them into a simple cream sauce over pasta. It was delicious! The adults present were the biggest eaters. The kids were a little leery.

Michael

 
OMG Sandy - come down for a REAL taste - wait unti after Easter but before June

The best time to eat them is April and May but this year it ran until late June because of the cooler temps. Mark is right, until you have them fresh at a big boil, you haven't had them. I've tried them frozen and YUCK. You would never like them based on that. I am not even found of the frozen tail meat most of the time - if it's not frozen right, it tastes horrible.

A friend of mine always has a big boil around the middle of April - want to come to TN?

Mark - the nice thing at the boils is that you an eat, drink and by the time the next batch is ready you're hungry and ready to eat again. I put away a BUNCH of them at the boil this year and ate them at several restaurants. Still craving them.

OH - and you have to suck the heads and get not only the fat but all the seasoned water (and juices) from the boil. I LOVE that part. I come away a horrible mess and with 'crawfish' thumbs (raw for a day or two).

 
That's 'until'. But now you have me craving crawfish with no place to get them

except to order them and have them flown in at this time of year.

 
Tennessee? Texas? Why do I only associate crawfish with LA bayou?

Well...the LA bayou and an illiterate Kim Basinger eating them raw right out of a swamp trap during a Richard Gere movie filmed eons ago.

 
LA? No, not Los Angeles, Louisiana, where the rice fields double as

crawfish territory, and there are plenty of Cajuns ready to cook them. Houston is criss-crossed with bayous, and there are rice fields within thirty miles of downtown. Breaux Bridge is the crawfish capitol of the world, and the streets are pink from crawfish shells the first weekend of May when they crown the Crawfish Queen and turn the occasion into a three-day festival. Laissez les bon temps rouller!

 
Thanks for the invite Missy! Perhaps I should bring my

Talc-free vinyl medical gloves for everyone. They could serve double duty for grasping the cold beer!

 
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