A man's job is how to properly cook crayfish. Secrets of choosing and preparing fresh crayfish

Crayfish is an exquisite, tender and tasty dish.

As a rule, they are used as a snack for beer.

There are many recipes with boiled crayfish meat.

You only need to buy a live product. In the store, you should pay attention to the conditions in which the inhabitants of the reservoirs live. At best, they should be kept in a spacious aquarium with water. It is not prohibited to store them in the refrigerator.
Before purchasing, you should pay attention to the activity of the cancer. Healthy animals behave very lively, move all parts of their body, and constantly strive to leave the aquarium. In the event that the product is sluggish, and the seller claims that it is in hibernation, in no case should you believe this. Dead crustaceans should not be purchased, much less consumed.
If the living creature is in the ice, its movements may be inhibited. In any case, a living cancer will always move.
In a healthy crustacean, the shell has a dark green color (closer to brown), which should be free of any damage or irregularities. It is hard to the touch, its tails are tucked.

As for the time of purchasing livestock, as a rule, they are caught in late summer or autumn. It is at this time of year that they are the most juicy and nutritious. Fishing is prohibited in spring and early summer.

There is no need to store a live product; it must be boiled immediately after purchase. If this does not work, then you can store it in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Preparing for cooking

It is worth considering that live crustaceans are quite active, so you should wear gloves. All manipulations should be carried out while holding the back.

How to cook frozen food?

A frozen product should be cooked in the same way as a live one. Only the cooking time will differ. It must be defrosted before cooking. You should not do this using a microwave oven, as the meat will lose its unique taste.

After defrosting, you should pay attention to the crayfish tails. If the crayfish were frozen alive, their tails will be curled, if dead, their tails will be straight. This can also be determined accurately after cooking.

If it is possible to recognize that dead carcasses have been frozen, they must be thrown away, otherwise food poisoning cannot be avoided.

The process of cooking frozen crustaceans is the same as for fresh ones. Rinse in cold water before cooking. Then you need to boil water in a large saucepan, then add dill, salt, bay leaf, and black pepper. Next, place the carcasses in boiling water and cover with a lid.

How long does it take to cook crayfish?

If the product was frozen cooked, cooking will take a couple of minutes, if fresh - 10-15 minutes (until a bright red color appears).

Then the carcasses should be left in hot water in a saucepan with the lid closed for another 10 minutes to infuse.

Cooking time depends on the size, for small crustaceans it takes about 10 minutes, for medium ones - 15 minutes, for large ones - up to 25 minutes. You should not cook the product longer than this time, as the meat will become tough. The appearance of a bright red color means that the snack is ready.

How to cook - classic recipe

To properly and tasty cook crayfish for beer at home, you will need the following ingredients:

1 kg of livestock;
3 liters of water;
4 tbsp. l. salt;
bay leaves and dill (to taste);
a couple of black peppercorns;
lemon.

Step-by-step preparation in the photo:

First you need to pour water into a large saucepan and boil, then add all the spices.
Prepare the carcasses. To do this, they need to be thoroughly washed with a brush.
Next, place the carcasses in boiling spicy water.
Cook until bright red color appears.
Serve the finished product as a snack.

Unusual cooking methods

In addition to the classic recipe, there are many unusual options for preparing crustaceans.

The following components will be required:

kilogram of livestock;
1.5 liters of beer and clean water;
3 tbsp. l. salt;
a few black peppercorns.

Preparation:

First of all, you need to boil water mixed with beer in a saucepan. Then add pepper and salt and stir.
Place the thoroughly washed product into a container with boiling liquid. Bring to a boil again, then loosely cover the pan, turn the heat to low and leave to cook.
After this, you need to turn off the heat and leave the pan for half an hour to infuse the snack.

Components:

1 kg crustaceans;
a couple of liters of water and milk;
a bunch of greens (dill, parsley);
3 tbsp. l. salt.

First, you should thoroughly wash the animals and place them in milk for 4 hours. After the time has passed, transfer the soaked carcasses to boiling salted water.
After cooking, drain the water, add the milk in which the crayfish were soaked, and add 1.5 tablespoons of salt. Add greens. Boil, turn off and leave to steep for 30 minutes. After a while, the dish can be served.

Crayfish in cucumber brine

Livestock can also be boiled in cucumber brine.

Ingredients:

½ kg of crayfish carcasses;
5 tbsp. l. sour cream;
a pair of onions;
1.5 liters of cucumber pickle;
dill, salt, bay leaf (to taste).

Rinse the carcasses thoroughly, place in a deep bowl, pour cucumber brine.
Add spices to taste. After boiling, cook for 25 minutes. A few minutes before the end of cooking, pour in sour cream.

Crayfish in the oven

Ingredients:

crayfish;
a little vegetable oil;
salt;
spices (to taste).

First you need to rinse the animals well, dry them and salt them. Then place them on a baking sheet generously greased with vegetable oil. Add spices as desired. Place the baking sheet in an unheated oven. Gradually heat the oven to two hundred degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Crayfish on the fire

Components:

20 live crayfish;
2.5 liters of light beer;
3 tbsp. l. salt;
10 green salad leaves;
a bunch of dill;
ground black pepper (to taste).

First you need to make a marinade for the livestock. To do this, pour beer into a deep container, add salt, pepper, add dill, and stir. Add well-washed crayfish carcasses. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to marinate for a day at room temperature.

Remove the carcasses from the marinade and place each on a wire rack. There is no need to fry for a long time, 10-15 minutes on each side is enough. You can periodically baste them with marinade. After time, you can serve, garnished with lettuce leaves.

Video: cooking crayfish in a slow cooker

Dishes and snacks with crayfish meat

Crayfish soup

To prepare the soup you will need the following ingredients:

350 g of livestock;
carrot;
celery;
tomato paste;
shallot;
250 ml each of broth and white wine;
100 ml cream;
20 ml cognac;
40 g butter;
bread for toasting;
10 ml olive oil;
spices - thyme, dill, bay leaf, parsley, white pepper, salt, sugar (to taste).

Manufacturing:

Place a pan of water on the fire, add dill and salt.
Rinse the product, remove the intestines. Place in a saucepan with spices. Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer the carcasses to a container with ice water.
Cut washed and peeled vegetables (shallots, carrots, celery) into arbitrary pieces. Place on the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil. Add salt and thyme for flavor and simmer.
Tear off the tails and place on the grill along with the shells. The rack should be placed on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. Bake at 200 degrees until the necks begin to turn white.
Add tomato paste, sugar, salt to the vegetables in the saucepan and mix. Cut off the crusts of the bread for toast, cut them into large diamonds and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven. Then grind the claws and shells in a mortar and fry in a frying pan.
Add the chopped crayfish parts to the vegetables, stir, put on the fire, and bring to a boil. Open the lid, pour in a few ml of cognac, set it on fire. Shake the container so that the alcohol evaporates. After this, add wine and fish broth. Mix.
Separate the crayfish meat and chop. Grind the contents of the saucepan using a blender. Rub the resulting mass through a sieve.
Place the container on the fire, pour in the cream, stirring. Add pepper, salt, chopped butter.

When serving, first place the meat on the bottom of the plate, then pour in the soup. Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped herbs. Eaten with croutons.

Cream soup on video:

Snack

To prepare a tasty snack at home, you will need the following ingredients:

10 crayfish;
100 ml dry white wine;
a couple of oranges;
grapefruit;
a pair of garlic cloves;
a teaspoon of mustard seeds;
2 tsp. butter;
a few tablespoons of vegetable oil;
4 tbsp. l. cream;
bulb;
a bunch of lettuce leaves;
pepper, salt (to taste).

Manufacturing:

First put the pan on the fire and bring to a boil. At this time, chop the onion.
Grate the zest from washed and dried oranges and squeeze out the juice.
Mix onion with orange zest.
Salt boiling water and place the animals in the pan.
Heat a frying pan, melt the butter. Then add the zest and onion mixture. Fry for 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour in the wine and turn the heat to low. The volume should decrease by 2 times.
At this time you can start preparing the sauce. To do this, you need to chop the peeled garlic cloves, mix with pepper, mustard and salt.
Pour in the vegetable oil, stirring the mixture with a whisk until smooth.
Cool the crayfish carcasses and clean them.
Pour cream into the mixture in a frying pan, heat until bubbles appear, but do not boil. Then immediately turn off the heat.
Wash the lettuce leaves, tear them with your hands, pour mustard sauce over them and mix.
Peel the fruit, divide into slices, remove the film.
To serve, place the salad on a plate, then slices of citrus fruits, crayfish necks, and pour over the dressing. The dish is ready.

Crayfish pilaf

Components:

a quarter cup of rice;
5 crayfish;
a heaping tablespoon of butter;
three branches of dill;
salt, nutmeg (to taste).

Wash the crayfish carcasses thoroughly, boil in salted water with the addition of dill sprigs. Cool the prepared product and clean it. Dry the shells and grind them in a mortar. Then add the crushed crayfish shells to the heated vegetable oil in a frying pan. Fry until the oil turns red, stirring constantly. Then strain it through a small sieve.
Fry the rice in the prepared oil until golden brown. Pour in ¾ cup of clean water, close the lid and cook over low heat. If necessary, water can be added. When ready, add nutmeg. Mix the crayfish tails with the rice. When serving, the dish can be sprinkled with caviar or herbs.

How to freeze crayfish at home?

You can freeze crayfish carcasses either cooked or fresh. To freeze the finished product, you need to cook it in a saucepan with spicy water (about 20 minutes), and then place it in freezer containers. You can pour the broth in which they were cooked into them.

Before freezing, live crayfish must be thoroughly washed, peeled and also placed in a container for freezing.

Boiled crayfish are an excellent snack for beer and a delicious delicacy that is not always available. But if you are lucky and have live crayfish in your hands, then all that remains is to prepare them correctly - and your beer party will be a success.

But don't think that boiling crayfish is that easy. There are subtleties in preparing the dish, and the most important of them is the choice of the crayfish themselves.

How to choose the right crayfish

The most piquant moment in the literal and figurative sense of the word - the crayfish must be alive! Of course, not every person can easily chop off the heads of chickens or plunge live crayfish into boiling water. But you have to come to terms with the idea that only live crayfish are suitable for cooking. This is the only way to get a tasty and healthy snack at the same time.

Dead or dormant crayfish can cause serious food poisoning.

When purchasing crayfish you need to pay attention to the following:

the animal's shell should be shiny and clean, with an even color, the claws should not have any signs of damage or growths;
crayfish are bluish-green or brown in color, their tail is tucked tightly to their belly;
crayfish should be in constant motion, move their whiskers and limbs; it is better to discard sedentary individuals;
crayfish weighing up to 100 grams and measuring from 10 to 15 cm have the best taste;
the crayfish hunting season begins in May and ends in October; crayfish caught in the fall are considered the most delicious;
It is best to choose females, as they are juicier and tastier than males - females can be distinguished by their wide tail.

You should not buy boiled crayfish, as you will not be able to determine the freshness of the product by eye. The common myth that if a boiled crayfish has a bent tail, then it was cooked alive has nothing to do with reality: dead and sick individuals have their tails bent in the same way when boiled.

If crayfish are in an aquarium with water whose temperature is less than +10 degrees, then they may be inactive. Crayfish are stored in such cold water for no longer than 48 hours, then they will hibernate or die. Immediately after you bring it home, cold crayfish should be baked in warm water at room temperature.

Frozen crayfish can be stored in the freezer for no more than three months.

How to cook crayfish correctly

After you bring live crayfish home, release them into a bowl of cool water for two hours - this will make them easier to rinse. Then we wash the crayfish under running water, but with great caution: a live crayfish can easily bite your finger. It is not dangerous, but quite sensitive. Wash crayfish carefully, as they can be very dirty, especially those that lived in holes or on the muddy bottom.
We thoroughly wash the claws and the places between the shell and the paws: this is where the most dirt accumulates. The process of washing crayfish is painstaking, but the result is worth it. Agree, it will be a shame if the excellent taste of the meat is spoiled by the crunchy sand between your teeth.
Sometimes, to make the crayfish especially tender and soft, Before cooking, they are soaked in milk for 30–40 minutes.
We choose a large container: the edges must be high, otherwise the crayfish will simply crawl out of the pan. The water should cover the crayfish by about 20 centimeters.
Boil water, salt, add bay leaf and a few peas of black allspice. Now the most unpleasant moment: we take the live crayfish by the middle of the shell and put it in boiling water. Cook the crayfish over high heat for about 15–20 minutes- depending on size and quantity.
If you suddenly come across a spoiled crayfish, you will immediately notice it: the animal will float to the surface, its body will be greatly swollen, and a characteristic unpleasant odor will appear. You quickly catch it and throw it away.
The readiness of the crayfish is determined by the shell: it should turn a rich red color. It is very important not to overcook the crayfish - then their meat will become tough and tasteless.
After the crayfish turn red, remove the pan from the stove and leave the crayfish to “simmer” in the hot broth for another 10 minutes. You need to cook and remove the crayfish immediately before eating - it is at this time that they are the most delicious.

How to eat crayfish correctly

Everyone eats crayfish differently. Some people prefer only the tail and throw away the rest - it's just an incredible waste! True crayfish lovers don’t throw away almost anything, and rightly so! Crayfish meat is too tasty and healthy to translate the product so mediocrely.

In fairness, we must admit that the tail is the most appetizing and fleshy part. The meat on the tail is always pleasant and even slightly sweet. After the tail is eaten, you can move on to the claws - the meat there is a little darker, but also very tender and tasty. True lovers savor and suck each leg, because it is incredibly tasty.

There is also some meat on the back. But not everyone likes it, as it is a little bitter. Under the shell you can eat everything except the intestines.

Eating crayfish is a fascinating activity that you get drawn into and cannot stop until there is nothing left on the plate. Fortunately, crayfish are not only tasty, but also low in calories, so you can eat as much as you like without worrying.

The best crayfish recipes

There are many ways to prepare crayfish; we will only tell you about the most delicious and at the same time simplest methods.

Crayfish in sour cream

Ingredients:

live crayfish - 10–15 pieces;
an umbrella of fresh or dry dill - 3 pieces;
peppercorns;
salt - to taste;
Bay leaf;
garlic - 2 cloves;
sour cream - 3 tbsp. spoons;
vegetable or olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation:

Boil water, add salt, peppercorns, dill, garlic and bay leaf, add the crayfish last and boil everything for 15 minutes.
Turn off the stove and put sour cream in the pan, stir.
Then add vegetable oil and leave the pan with crayfish on the cooling stove for another 20 minutes.
Crayfish prepared this way will be especially tender and shiny. All that remains is to place the crayfish on a wide dish and serve.

Crayfish in beer

Ingredients:

light beer - 2 liters;
water - 1 glass;
salt and peppercorns to taste;
bay leaf - 2–3 pieces;
dill umbrella - 2–3 pieces;
live crayfish - 15 pieces.

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to boiling water except beer and crayfish.
Boil the water for 5 minutes, then pour in the beer, bring to a boil again and throw the crayfish into the beer.
Cook for 10–15 minutes until the crayfish turn red.
Serve in a wide dish, pouring boiled beer over the crayfish.

Crayfish with lemon

Ingredients:

large lemon - 1 piece;
salt, peppercorns - to taste;
dill umbrella - 2–3 pieces;
crayfish - 10–15 pieces.

Preparation:

Boil water and add all the spices.
Cut the lemon in half, squeeze all the juice out of it into the boiling broth, put the peels there and boil for 10-15 minutes.
Then add live crayfish to the broth and cook until tender. Crayfish prepared in this way will have a spicy taste that you and your friends will surely enjoy.

Crayfish have long been eaten as an independent dish or as an addition to beer, salads, and side dishes. The product is considered especially popular among girls on a diet, and this is not surprising. The completely dietary composition helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, prevents cardiovascular diseases, and has a beneficial effect on the skin and hair. The question of how to cook crayfish at home becomes especially relevant. There are several cooking technologies, let's consider them in order.

Features of choosing crayfish

There are several types of crayfish: small, medium and large. The first type contains little meat, the third is dry. The best option for cooking at home is medium-sized crayfish.
As for the duration of cooking crayfish, small specimens should be simmered in boiling water for about 20-25 minutes, medium ones - about 35-40 minutes, large ones - 45-50 minutes. Many people claim that crayfish must be boiled until they turn red; this misconception is erroneous. Meat will not undergo heat treatment in 10 minutes
It is important to always remember that you only need to buy live crayfish. You cannot boil the dead, since they have already begun the process of decomposition. If you are not sure that the cancer died less than two hours ago, throw it away. Otherwise, you risk ruining the entire dish.
If you know for sure that the cancer died about an hour ago, tear off the head and send the neck for cooking. This move must be made, because the process of decomposition begins precisely from the head.
If you do not plan to cook the crayfish immediately after purchasing them, do not place the crayfish in water. Leave them in a cool place, start cooking no later than 2-3 hours later.

How to cook crayfish: a classic of the genre

live crayfish - 3 kg.
dill (umbrellas) - 5 branches
bay leaf - 8-10 pcs.
pepper (peas) - 15 pcs.
lemon - 1-1.5 pcs.
coarse table salt - 160 gr.

Prepare a saucepan for 11-12 liters, fill it 2/3 with water. Add dill sprigs, peppercorns, bay leaf. Squeeze the juice from 1-1.5 lemons and also place in a container.
An important aspect of cooking crayfish is the addition of salt. Calculate the amount based on the indicator for 2 liters. water is 40 grams. salt (one heaped tablespoon).
Place the pan with the seasonings on the stove, bring the solution to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for another 3 minutes. After the expiration date, turn off the burner, cover the brine with a lid, and let it brew for a quarter of an hour.
After this, turn on the stove again, bring the mixture again until the first bubbles appear, and reduce the power to minimum. Place live crayfish into the container, having washed them first, and set the stove to the middle mark.
When the crayfish begins to boil, lower the burner, cover the pan, and cook for 20 to 50 minutes depending on the size.
After the allotted time has elapsed, remove the crayfish from the stove, let them stand in the brine for about 5-10 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon or tongs. Season with fresh dill and, if desired, sprinkle with lemon juice mixed with vinegar in a 2:1 ratio.
If after cooking the crayfish you do not eat the whole dish, put it in the refrigerator, covering the dish with cling film. Make several holes in the polyethylene. In this state, crayfish can be stored for about 24-36 hours.

fresh crayfish - 3 kg.
bay leaf - 6 pcs.
peppercorns - 8 pcs.
fresh or dried dill - 1 bunch/30 gr.
coarse sea salt - 180 gr.

Sort through the crayfish, throw away the dead ones, and wash the living ones. Very important attention needs to be removed by washing the crayfish. Clean the shells and legs as these are the parts that are prone to silt accumulation. Otherwise, the finished product will have an unpleasant river taste. To perform the procedure correctly, use a clean toothbrush.
After washing the crayfish, take a wide pan with high sides and pour 7 liters into it. water, add sea salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, dill. Add ground coriander and clove buds if desired.
Place the pan on the stove, bring the brine to a boil, and set the burner to medium heat. Place the crayfish one at a time, head down, and cook until the first bubbles appear.
Next, turn the burner down to the minimum setting, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for about 20-50 minutes (based on the size). After cooking is complete, turn off the stove and leave the crayfish in the brine for a quarter of an hour.
Remove with a slotted spoon, place in a deep bowl, and season with lemon juice. Serve with chilled beer and garlic sour cream sauce.

Cooking crayfish with wine

fresh crayfish - 1.5 kg.
semi-dry/dry white wine - 350 ml.
wheat flour - 35 gr.
cumin - 15 gr.
butter - 85 gr.
bay leaf - 4 pcs.
fine sea salt - to taste
ground black pepper - to taste

Sort out the crayfish, leaving only the living ones. Wash them in running water with a toothbrush, thoroughly cleaning the shell and legs.
Prepare a thick-bottomed pan about 5-7 liters in size, place it on the stove, turn on the heat and add 55 grams. butter. Wait until the product is completely dissolved.
Place the crayfish into the heated mixture, reduce the heat to medium, fry until pink, turning occasionally so that the heat is distributed evenly.
After the crayfish are fried, sprinkle them with sea salt, add bay leaf, cumin, and pepper. Reduce the power of the burner, pour in white wine and filtered water so that the liquid covers the backs of the crayfish.
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the product for about 25 minutes, stirring constantly. After this, turn off the stove and leave the crayfish for 10 minutes for final infusion.
Place them in a dish and start preparing the sauce based on this broth. Strain the brine through several layers of gauze and a colander, pour into a clean pan, add the sifted flour, add the remaining 30 grams. butter.
Stir the sauce and simmer it over low heat for about 3 minutes, then cool at room temperature. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or dill and serve separately from the crayfish.

live crayfish - 2.5 kg.
crushed table salt - 100 gr.
bay leaf - 7 pcs.
light beer - in fact

Before cooking, you need to sort out and rinse the crayfish with cool running water, thoroughly cleaning the shell and legs with a toothbrush. After this, prepare a wide saucepan (volume about 10 liters).
Next, let's try to determine how much beer will be needed to brew 2.5 kg. crayfish To do this, place them in a saucepan, fill with water so that it rises 7-10 cm above the backs of the crayfish.
After this, pour the same amount of beer into the container, having previously measured the amount. Add 0.5 liters to the resulting volume. If possible, choose light, filtered beer, as dark beer can be bitter.
Place the container with beer on the stove, add bay leaf, chopped salt, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. After the first bubbles appear, reduce the power to low and cook the crayfish for 25-30 minutes depending on the size.
At the end of the procedure, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and leave for 20 minutes. During this time, the crayfish will be soaked in beer brine.
Once the time is up, remove the finished crayfish with a slotted spoon and serve with olives, fresh dill and garlic. Never drink beer in which crayfish have been boiled.

Cooking crayfish with milk

milk - 3 l.
live crayfish - 2 kg.
dill (umbrellas) - 3 pcs.
sour cream - 140 gr.
garlic - 3 cloves
crushed sea salt - 130 gr.

Rinse the crayfish under running water and clean the legs and shell with a toothbrush. Pour milk into a deep saucepan, place on the stove, and boil for about 15 minutes. After this, remove the composition, cool to a temperature of 25 degrees.
Place the crayfish in a deep bowl, pour boiled milk over it, cover with a lid, and leave for 1.5 hours. Next, rinse the crayfish again and prepare them for cooking.
Pour 6 liters into a saucepan. water, add salt and dill umbrellas, bring the mixture to a boil. Place the crayfish head down into the liquid and cook for about half an hour.
After cooking, turn off the burner, let the crayfish soak in the brine for about 7 minutes, then place them on a plate. Prepare the sauce: pass the garlic through a press, mix with sour cream.

Cooking crayfish in tomato juice

live crayfish - 2.7-3 kg.
tomato juice - 170 ml.
red dry/semi-dry wine - 50 ml.
salt - 130 gr.
ground black pepper - 20 gr.
dill with umbrellas - 2 sprigs

Select live crayfish and throw away dead ones. Wash the product with running water and a toothbrush, thoroughly cleaning the legs and shell.
Pour 8 liters into a saucepan. filtered water, place the container on the stove and bring to a boil. Add dill umbrellas, table salt, pepper, stir, wait until the crystals dissolve.
After this, place live crayfish (head down) into the pan, bring the brine until bubbles appear, and reduce the heat to low. Boil the crayfish for about 25-50 minutes (based on size).
After cooking, cover the dish with a lid and let the finished product brew for another quarter of an hour. After the expiration date, remove the crayfish with tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the shell, and remove the legs and heads.
Place the meat in a deep bowl (salad bowl, etc.), pour the dish with wine and tomato juice in the quantities you need. Serve with baked potatoes and garlic sauce.

Many people wonder about cleaning and proper consumption of crayfish, and this is not surprising. Few people want to get into an awkward situation while in a company.

They start eating crayfish from the body. To peel the product, turn the claws upside down, unfold the shell and remove it. Eat the white meat and put the black thread aside (it is not consumed).
After this they move on to the claws. Break them off, remove the shell, suck out the juice. There is often meat under the shell, which can also be eaten.
Before serving, soak the crayfish in the prepared brine so that they retain their juiciness and aroma for a long time. Eat all the meat that has a whitish tint.

Use the recipe for cooking crayfish with wine, milk, beer or tomato juice. Serve the finished product with your favorite sauce, olives, and baked potatoes. Season the crayfish with lemon juice and eat with beer.

Video: how to cook crayfish

In order for boiled crayfish to delight you with taste and texture, you need to be sure of its freshness. We recommend purchasing live crayfish only from trusted suppliers (the store must have all documents for the products, including a veterinary certificate). Carefully inspect them before cooking - they should all be quite active, with an evenly colored shell. It is better to throw out the inactive or dead ones immediately: the meat of these river inhabitants decomposes quickly, and one bad specimen that gets into the pan can ruin your entire dinner. If you are not planning to cook the crayfish right away, it is important to take care of their proper storage.

The second subtlety is that in order to cook crayfish deliciously, it is advisable to take stainless steel dishes. It is better not to use aluminum pans. The fact is that aluminum very easily reacts with other substances, including sulfur, which is contained in the crayfish themselves. As a result, the taste of the dish may deteriorate and the aluminum pan may turn black.

So, first of all, it is important to ensure freshness.
Rinse the crayfish well in cold water (if you ordered delivery of crayfish from the store, they will most likely deliver you already washed arthropods, but if you caught them yourself, you should pay attention to the areas where silt and sand from the bottom are usually clogged - the abdomen and joints). When washing, you should take care of your hands and use a brush.
Take the right dishes (stainless steel) with high enough sides.
Pour water (there are other options, we will talk about them below) and wait for it to boil, add salt and spices to taste. The simplest options that are found in every home are bay leaves and allspice. Tip: you can boil the spices in boiling water for a few minutes - the result will be an improvised broth.
We throw the arthropods into boiling water, carefully holding them by the back (watch out for your fingers).
Cooking time for crayfish depends on the size. On average it takes from 15 to 30 minutes. How do you know how long to cook crayfish of different sizes?
After the crayfish are cooked, you can leave them in the water for a while so that they become more saturated with the aroma of the spices.
And remember, you need to cook the crayfish just before you plan to eat them. Boiled crayfish that sit for a long time irreversibly lose some of their taste and aroma.

There are several more proven ways to cook live crayfish so that both you and your guests are satisfied. You can diversify the classic crayfish cooking at minimal cost like this:

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into boiling water, add the crusts there and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. The lemon notes in the broth will add a very delicate flavor to the finished dish.
Add a few umbrellas of dry dill to the bay leaf and pepper. This, by the way, is an excellent way to fight off the smell of mud, which river inhabitants still have.
Replace half the water in the pan with beer. If you want to cook crayfish in a truly original way, we recommend paying attention to the following recipe.
Before cooking, pour milk over live crayfish and leave for a while.

These are just a few options for how to cook live crayfish. We will definitely continue to publish the most interesting recipes and useful tips. Come visit us more often!