How do I eat my 8 Crawdads?

[ETsC10]

I can hear the laughing now but I am serious.

I'm Pacific Northwesterner and we simply don't have these things around to
eat. I used to see them in creeks (they were grey and fairly small) but could
never catch one.

Because I like shrimp and crab, these guys caught my eye at the market
today...amazing I finally got around to investigating after a half decade or so.

Bright red, pretty and Lookin tasty. So tiny tho.

I assume I just peal the tail and eat it. But they have HUGE heads!
Should I investigate further and look for meat there too?

Dip in butter I assume?

I don't really want to start until I get some feedback and, obviously, a recipe
wouldn't do much good (for someone with only 8 crawdads).

[Indian113]

In Iowa we call them BAIT! But i have a friend in Louisianna that loves them he steams them and tears the tails off and sucks the meat and juice out. I don't think your going to find much Meat anywhere else on them.

[ETsC10]

Yup. They're kind of dinky.

...and far less appealing at 7:30 in the morning.

[fun in dirt]

Break at front of tails, then squeeze end of tail & pull meat out...not much of it. There tasty but alot of work for little reward. Really good just to snack on with beer! I'd personally rather just eat shrimp!

[no moa]

You need some Maine Lobsta! Lots a meat in them babies. I like to eat them for breakfast! lol

[fastwillie 696969]

you want lobster ,my buddy in San Francisco is a pro diver/spearman has the worlds record for ling cod on spear .but just this last week he was in San Diego and got this big daddy

[hopped up]

Gotta suck the head too! I know it sounds Akers but when I went to new Orleans that's what we did and thats where a lot of flavor hides. Gotta have the right seasoning too
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[79 silverado]

I used to live a few years in nawlins... Cook them in crab boil with a potato thrown in also a half stick of corn on the cob - it'll all pick up the spices and be downright tasty. Some people like to pinch tails and suck heads, I only ever eat the tails myself. Can use a remoulade sauce to dip them in if you'd like, then wash it all down with a glass of sweet tea.

[ETsC10]

Originally Posted by hopped up

Gotta suck the head too! I know it sounds Akers but when I went to new Orleans that's what we did and thats where a lot of flavor hides. Gotta have the right seasoning too
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haha...maybe next time...but then again, it DOES sound Akers so...

Originally Posted by fun in dirt

Break at front of tails, then squeeze end of tail & pull meat out...not much of it. There tasty but alot of work for little reward. Really good just to snack on with beer! I'd personally rather just eat shrimp!

Love shrimp!!!! Never had lobster before and, from Willies pic, wouldn't have too much trouble finding the meat. What a monster!

Originally Posted by fastwillie 696969

you want lobster ,my buddy in San Francisco is a pro diver/spearman has the worlds record for ling cod on spear .but just this last week he was in San Diego and got this big daddy

Now I can identify with the Ling...a common fishing target here. For eating, I usually stick with our native Salmon, Dungeness crab, halibut, steelhead and rainbow trout. Just BBQ'd fresh Salmon last weekend...smothered in braised onions & brown sugar. Yum!

.

[NONHOG]

http://seattletimes.com/html/reeltim...way_in_ma.html

http://depts.washington.edu/coenv/ne...seattle-times/

I always thought the southern crawfish was bigger. I was wrong.
Look at the 2nd link. Our local ones are huge. Or can be.

I think they are actually plentiful here. Just where? is the big question.

Don't know of any recipes but love to hear how it went.

[Sillyoldman]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

http://seattletimes.com/html/reeltim...way_in_ma.html

http://depts.washington.edu/coenv/ne...seattle-times/

I always thought the southern crawfish was bigger. I was wrong.
Look at the 2nd link. Our local ones are huge. Or can be.

I think they are actually plentiful here. Just where? is the big question.

Don't know of any recipes but love to hear how it went.

Well that just blows our CFWPP (Cray-Fish-Witness-Protection-Program).

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by ETsC10

I'm Pacific Northwesterner and we simply don't have these things around to eat. I used to see them in creeks (they were grey and fairly small) but could never catch one.

I used to catch them when I was a kid in NW Oregon, but they were more of an orangish color, not gray. Cut raw beef liver into small pieces and tie a piece onto some string. Dangle it or let it drift -- crawdads like to hide under rock shelves in the creek. When they grab the liver, pull it towards you very slowly (too fast and they let go). When they get close enough, reach down from behind them and grab hold of the body behind the claws.

There's some meat in those claws, too....

[ETsC10]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

...Don't know of any recipes but love to hear how it went.

Neat links!
Well...they got cooked, smelled awful and were scary looking so they
were sent outside to visit the compost heap.
I imagine the raccoons had a heyday with them.

Originally Posted by Sillyoldman

Well that just blows our CFWPP (Cray-Fish-Witness-Protection-Program).

I knew something was fishy...they were wearing little trench coats.