How to cook crayfish at home

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 dieting girls, and this is not surprising. A completely dietary composition improves the digestive tract, prevents cardiovascular disease, and has a beneficial effect on the skin and hair. Particularly relevant is the question of how to cook crayfish at home. There are several cooking technologies, consider them in order.

Features of the choice of crayfish

1. There are several varieties of cancers: 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.
2. As for the duration of cooking the 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 argue that crayfish must be boiled until reddening, this error is erroneous. Meat will not pass heat treatment in 10 minutes
3. It is important to remember forever that you only need to buy live crayfish. You cannot cook the dead, because 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 spoiling the whole dish.
4. If you know for sure that the cancer died about an hour ago, tear off your head and send the neck for cooking. Such a move must be made, because the decomposition process begins precisely from the head.
5. If you don’t plan to cook them immediately after buying the crayfish, do not put the crayfish in water. Leave them in a cool place, start cooking no later than 2-3 hours.

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 salt - 160 gr.

1. Prepare a pan for 11-12 liters, fill it with water for 2/3. Add sprigs of dill, peas, bay leaf. Squeeze the juice from 1-1.5 lemons, also send to the container.
2. An important aspect of cooking crayfish is the addition of salt. Calculate the amount based on the indicator of 2 liters. water accounts for 40 gr. salt (one tablespoon with a slide).
3. Put the seasoning pot on the stove, bring the solution to a boil, lower the heat to a medium mark, simmer for another 3 minutes. After the expiration of the time, turn off the burner, cover the brine with a lid, let it brew for a quarter of an hour.
4. After that, turn on the stove again, again bring the mixture to the appearance of the first bubbles, reduce the power to a minimum. Send the crayfish to the tank, rinsing them first, set the plate to the middle mark.
5. When the crayfish begin to boil, reduce the burner, cover the pan with a lid, cook for 20 to 50 minutes, depending on size.
6. After the allotted time has elapsed, remove the crayfish from the stove, let stand in the brine for about 5-10 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon or tongs. Season with fresh dill, optionally sprinkle with lemon juice mixed with vinegar in a 2: 1 ratio.
7. If after cooking the crayfish you did not eat the whole dish, send it to the refrigerator, covering the dishes with cling film. Make several holes in polyethylene. In this state, crayfish can be stored for about 24-36 hours.

How to brew crayfish for beer

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

1. Sort crayfish, throw away dead specimens, wash the living. Very important attention must be removed by flushing the cancers. Clean the shells and legs, as these are the parts that are subject to the accumulation of sludge. Otherwise, the finished product will have an unpleasant river taste. To carry out the procedure correctly, use a clean toothbrush.
2. After washing the crayfish, take a wide pan with high sides, pour 7 liters into it. water, add sea salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, dill. Add ground coriander and clove buds as desired.
3. Put the pan on the stove, bring the brine to a boil, set the burner on medium heat. Send the crayfish alternately head down, cook until the first bubbles appear.
4. Next, reduce the burner to the minimum mark, cover the dishes with a lid, cook for about 20-50 minutes (based on size). After cooking, turn off the stove, leave the crayfish in brine for a quarter of an hour.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon, put in a deep bowl, season with lemon juice. Serve with chilled beer and garlic cream sauce.

Cooking crayfish on wine

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

1. Sort crayfish, leave only alive. Wash them in running water with a toothbrush, thoroughly cleaning the shell and legs.
2. Prepare a thick-bottomed saucepan about 5-7 liters in size, place it on the stove, turn on the heat and add 55 gr. butter. Wait for the product to completely dissolve.
3. Send the crayfish to a heated composition, reduce the heat to medium power, fry until pink, periodically turn over so that the heat is distributed evenly.
4. After the crayfish are fried, sprinkle them with sea salt, add bay leaf, caraway seeds, pepper. Reduce the power of the burner, pour in white wine and filtered water so that the liquid covers the backs of the crayfish.
5. Cover the pan, simmer the product for about 25 minutes, stirring constantly. After that, turn off the stove, leave the crayfish for 10 minutes for final infusion.
6. Put them in a dish, start cooking sauce based on this broth. Strain the brine through several layers of gauze and a colander, pour into a clean pan, pour in the sifted flour, add the remaining 30 g. butter.
7. 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, serve separately from the crayfish.

Making crayfish on beer

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

1. Before cooking, it is necessary to sort and rinse the crayfish with cool running water, thoroughly cleaning the shell and paws with a toothbrush. After that, prepare a wide pan (about 10 liters in volume).
2. Next, let's try to determine how much beer will be required for brewing 2.5 kg. crayfish. To do this, place them in a pan, fill with water so that it rises 7-10 cm above the backs of the crayfish.
3. After that, pour the same amount of beer into the container, having previously measured the quantity. Add 0.5 L to the resulting volume. If possible, choose light filtered beer, since dark can give bitterness.
4. Put the beer container on the stove, add bay leaf, chopped salt, bring the composition to a boil over medium heat. After the appearance of the first bubbles, reduce the power to a minimum, cook the crayfish for 25-30 minutes, depending on size.
5. At the end of the procedure, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, leave for 20 minutes. During this time, crayfish are saturated with beer brine.
6. After time, remove the prepared crayfish with a slotted spoon, serve with olives / olives, fresh dill and garlic.In no case do not drink beer in which the crayfish were brewed.

Cooking crayfish in milk

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

1. Rinse the crayfish under running water, brush the legs and carapace with a toothbrush. Pour milk into a deep pan, put on the stove, boil for about 15 minutes. After this, remove the composition, cool to a temperature of 25 degrees.
2. Place the crayfish in a deep bowl, fill with boiled milk, cover, leave for 1.5 hours. Next, rinse the crayfish, prepare them for cooking.
3. Pour 6 liters into the pan. water, add salt and dill umbrellas, bring the composition to a boil. Send the crayfish into the liquid head down, cook for about half an hour.
4. After cooking, turn off the hotplate, let the crayfish stand in the brine for about 7 minutes, then put them on the dish. 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.
• dry red / semi-dry wine - 50 ml.
• salt - 130 gr.
• ground black pepper - 20 gr.
• dill with umbrellas - 2 branches

1. Select living crayfish, throw away the dead. Wash the product with running water with a toothbrush, thoroughly cleaning the legs and carapace.
2. Pour 8 liters into the pan. filtered water, place a container on the stove, bring to a boil. Add dill umbrellas, salt, pepper, mix, wait for the crystals to dissolve.
3. After that, send live crayfish to the pan (head down), bring the brine to the appearance of bubbles, reduce the heat to a minimum. Cook the crayfish for about 25-50 minutes (based on size).
4. After cooking, cover the dishes, let the finished product brew for another quarter of an hour. At the end of the period, remove the crayfish with forceps or a slotted spoon, clean the carapace, remove the legs and head.
5. Put 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.

How to eat crayfish properly

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

1. Crayfish begin to eat from the body. To clean the product, turn the claws up, unfold the carapace and remove it. Eat white meat, and put the black thread aside (it is not consumed).
2. After that, they pass to the claws. Break them off, remove the shell, suck the juice. Under the shell is often meat, it can also be eaten.
3. Before serving, stand 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 hue.

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

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