How to make delicious crayfish at home
Cancer is an aquatic creature. He lives in fresh or sea water, sometimes adapts to life on earth: land crabs or hermit crabs. All kinds of crustaceans are an important part of fishing. We are talking about the production of shrimp, lobster and crab, which are in demand among lovers of seafood.
Boiled crayfish is a favorite dish, serving as a good snack for beer. There are many recipes for how to cook crayfish at home, which differ in the spices used. The main thing is not to overdo it with seasonings, otherwise they will kill the taste of meat.
5 helpful tips
- Cooking time - 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Preparedness is determined by color: a fully prepared cancer turns red. Water must be salted.
- The best crayfish - caught in the spring. It is better to choose large ones, their meat is tastier.
- Live crayfish are stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Boiled are also stored in the water in which they were cooked. Frozen crayfish are stored for a month.
- Frozen crayfish are immediately thrown into boiling water without preliminary defrosting.
- If boiled crayfish is served in a restaurant or cafe, pay attention to the appearance. In crayfish, cooked alive, the tails are tightened under the body. If the tails are straight, then most likely the cancers were dead or sick.
- Meat is a dietary product rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and iodine.
How to cook crayfish
For cooking, take live crayfish. They are washed in running water and kept in milk for half an hour to improve the taste. "Milk bath" makes the meat tender and juicy. Then they are repeatedly washed in cold water and cooked.
Some cooks take out the intestines and stomach before cooking, which will save the meat from signs of bitterness. This is done this way: the cancer is turned on its back, grabbed with two fingers, and the stomach and intestines are removed with rotational movements.
IngredientsServings: - + 5- crayfish 20 pcs
- water 4 l
- salt 4 tbsp. l
- dill 3 branches
- bay leaf 5 sheets
- peppercorns 10 grains
- For cooking, you need a capacious pan, salt and dill. I advise you not to save on dill and salt. The norm of salt is 1 tbsp. l salt per liter of water.
- Fans of a more spicy taste add pepper, about 10 pieces and a bay leaf - 5-7 pieces.
- Usually 12 crayfish are taken per liter of water, 10-12 cm in size. If crayfish are less than 10 cm, more are taken.
- Spices are then thrown into the boiling water, then crayfish. Take with two fingers on the back so that the claw does not bite on the finger.
- The fire must be strong. When the water boils, reduce to medium. The preparation is monitored, as water often runs away with the contents.
- After 10 minutes, the fire is turned off and kept under a closed lid for another 10 minutes. After the crayfish, they are taken out and laid out on a dish, decorated with lemon slices and dill branches.
It is not worth complicating or loading with spices; the main thing in cooking is the taste of meat. After a couple of attempts to cook the crayfish, it will already be clear how much and what to add to the pan.
Fancy cooking recipes
In boiled water, spread the onion, dill, pepper and peas cut in half, add blackcurrant leaves for a special taste.
Live crayfish are placed in a pot of boiling water, boiled for at least 25 minutes (cooking time depends on size). Cook until they turn red. They serve crayfish for beer, laying out on a flat dish.
We brew crayfish in beer - 2 recipes
Recipe - 1
The cooking process does not differ from the previous ones, only water is diluted with beer, in a ratio of 1: 1.Also prepared crayfish in kvass.
Recipe - 2
Unusual are crayfish made in beer with lard. Crayfish are immersed in boiling water, after boiling, lard is cut, sliced. Then lemon juice is squeezed into the pan, mustard is added and mixed. Top with fresh dill and sprinkle with a lid. Cook until fully cooked.
Video recipeCrayfish in milk
Patience is needed more, but the result is incredible.
- Crayfish are soaked in milk for 3 hours, then removed and washed in cold water. Milk is not poured.
- Crayfish are spread in boiling, salted water, where dill is added.
- It is cooked until cooked, after which the water is drained and the milk in which they are soaked is poured.
- After boiling milk, the pan is removed from the fire, the crayfish are laid out on a dish and decorated with dill.
Sour cream or milk sauce is suitable for such a dish.
Crayfish boiled in cucumber pickle
It turns a spicy taste.
- The crayfish are boiled, as in the previous recipes until cooked, the water is drained and brine is poured into the pan.
- As soon as the brine boils, add 7 tablespoons of sour cream.
- After the crayfish, they are removed and served on the table with sour cream sauce in which they were cooked.
If crayfish are not intended to be consumed immediately after cooking, they are kept in brine, otherwise the meat will lose its juiciness.
Crab-based appetizers and recipes
In addition to the traditional preparation of crayfish, they are baked in the oven or on a fire. Let's look at 7 separate dishes from crayfish.
Crayfish in the oven
For baking in the oven take medium crayfish.
- Pour a little oil onto a baking sheet and spread the previously washed crayfish.
- Sprinkle with seasoning and sent to a cold oven, setting the temperature to 200 degrees.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, after which they are served.
Crayfish at the stake
Crayfish are also baked at the stake. This is one of the ideal cooking solutions in nature.
- Crayfish are washed and dried.
- Each is wrapped in baking foil and placed in the hot coals of a bonfire.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the crayfish and the temperature of the coal.
Crayfish soup
The cancers are boiled in one of the known ways (boiled meat should be about 300 g).
Cooking:- Small onions and carrots are cut into cubes, finely chopped celery with a knife.
- Onions spread in warmed butter, fry, add carrots and celery.
- Hot chicken stock (0.5 liters) and the same amount of water are poured into the pan.
- After boiling the broth, chopped crayfish meat, bay leaf, salt and pepper are thrown. Add to taste a little coriander and thyme, cook for 30 minutes.
- To make the soup a homogeneous consistency, beat with a blender.
- In another pan, mix the butter with a tablespoon of flour until smooth, pour the strained soup and bring to a boil.
- At the last moment, add chopped greens, salt, hot pepper (for an amateur), half a glass of cream, lime juice.
The soup will be delicious!
Crayfish cream soup
- A medium-sized finely chopped onion, chicken stock, approximately 0.5 liters are placed in the pan. Stew on low heat for 10 minutes.
- 2 tbsp are placed in the pan. butter, drive a whisk 2 tbsp. flour. Beat until the consistency of the mass is not like sour cream.
- Beating, gradually pour the broth, hot milk (2 cups), salt, pepper to taste, peeled boiled, finely chopped crayfish (500 g).
- Soup, stirring constantly, bring to a boil, but do not allow to boil.
- Poured into plates, decorated with a whole crayfish neck and chopped greens, immediately served with croutons.
Cream Soup Cooking Video
Alien Snack
For a snack you will need 10 crayfish, a glass of white wine, 2 tbsp. butter, salt, pepper, caraway seeds.
Cooking:- Crayfish are washed and dried. Butter is heated in a pan, as soon as it boils, spread the crayfish and fry until it turns pink.
- Salt, pepper, add a little caraway, pour wine and cover, continuing to cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce. The broth, where the crayfish was cooked, filtered, add a spoonful of butter and a spoonful of flour. The sauce is boiled for a minute, and when it thickens, add a spoonful of oil, wait until it melts, then mix well with a wooden spatula or spoon.
Crayfish are poured with creamy sauce and served. To add sophistication, decorate the dish with olives, herbs and vegetables.
Crawfish Pilaf
Fairly simple to prepare, but unusually tasty and aromatic will turn out pilaf from crayfish.
- Combine 2 cups of rice (pre-cooked until half cooked) with half a cup of chopped olives, well chopped onion, 1 sweet pepper (cut into cubes), add 3 cups of chopped boiled crayfish meat and half a glass of grated cheddar cheese.
- The ingredients are mixed and placed in a baking dish. In a saucepan melt butter (3 tbsp), gradually whisking with a whisk, add the same amount of flour. Stir fry for about a minute.
- Add 2 cups of milk to the flour, while stirring, keep on fire for another 2 minutes.
- Pour the pilaf with sauce and put in the oven for half an hour until golden brown.
Ready pilaf is poured with melted butter, sprinkled with fresh herbs on top and immediately served to the table.
Rice with cervical cancer
- The cancers are boiled and cleaned. Well-washed with water, the shell is dried in the microwave, then crushed as finely as possible, some use a coffee grinder.
- In a frying pan, chop the butter, add the carapace and fry until the butter is reddish, stirring occasionally.
- The butter is passed through a fine strainer and the rice is fried until brownish. Only then add water (in the ratio of 1 cup of rice to 3 cups of water), salt, cover tightly.
- Stand on low heat until rice is ready, periodically add water.
- At the end of cooking, add nutmeg.
Cancer necks are cut, spread on top of rice, sprinkled with herbs and served.