What to do with crayfish bodies?

[nb celestine]

Hi, I,ve just pulled up over 30 crayfish on the Kennet and Avon but I get relly bored shelling them. When you see the small amount of tails in the dish and then the carrier bag full of bodies, there must be some recipe for them.

 

I seem to remember some sort of recipe where the tails were simmered and then some cream bunged in. Could be wrong though.

 

Apologies if there,s a recipe in the search, I couldn,t find it.

 

Regards, Paul.

[luctor et emergo]

Boil thm with garlic and butter?

[Chagall]

I found this online....

How to Make Shellfish Stock

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 cups shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and/or crab
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Several sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-15 whole peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons salt

METHOD

 

1 Break thick shells (lobster and crab) into smaller pieces by putting in a sealed, thick plastic bag and either rolling with a rolling pin or hitting with a meat hammer to crush. Cut up thinner shrimp shells with a chef's knife. Don't crush or cut too small. You can even skip this step if you want, if you are already dealing with broken up shell pieces (like cracked crab). Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400°F for 10 minutes (this step you can skip, but it greatly enhances the flavor).

 

Put the shells in a large stock pot and cover with an inch (but no more than an inch) of water.

 

 

2 Put the stove temperature on medium high and slowly heat the shells in the water. As soon as you see that little bubbles are starting to come up to the surface, reduce the heat to medium. Do not let it boil. You want to maintain the temperature at just below a simmer, where the bubbles just occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir the shells. Stirring will muddy up the stock. As the bubbles come up to the surface a film of foam will develop on the surface. Use a large slotted spoon to skim away this foam. Let the shells cook like this for about an hour; skim the foam every few minutes. The foam comes from shells releasing impurities as their temperature increases.

 

3 Put the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley in cheese cloth. Secure with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.

 

4 Once the stock has stopped releasing foam, you can add the wine, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, herb bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Bring to a low simmer and reduce heat so that the stock continues to simmer, but not boil, for 30 minutes. If more foam comes to the surface, skim it off. Add salt and remove from heat.

 

 

5 Dampen a few layers of cheesecloth and place over a large, fine mesh strainer, over a large pot or bowl. Pour the stock into the strainer. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use in a couple of days, freeze (remember to leave some head room at the top of your freezer container for the liquid to expand as it freezes

 

[nb celestine]

Boil thm with garlic and butter?

 

What, boil the bodies in garlic and butter? Then what,strain it all then eat as a soup?

 

I can do that. Have you done it or are you guessing?

 

I found this online....

How to Make Shellfish Stock

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 cups shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and/or crab
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Several sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-15 whole peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons salt

METHOD

 

1 Break thick shells (lobster and crab) into smaller pieces by putting in a sealed, thick plastic bag and either rolling with a rolling pin or hitting with a meat hammer to crush. Cut up thinner shrimp shells with a chef's knife. Don't crush or cut too small. You can even skip this step if you want, if you are already dealing with broken up shell pieces (like cracked crab). Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400°F for 10 minutes (this step you can skip, but it greatly enhances the flavor).

 

Put the shells in a large stock pot and cover with an inch (but no more than an inch) of water.

 

 

2 Put the stove temperature on medium high and slowly heat the shells in the water. As soon as you see that little bubbles are starting to come up to the surface, reduce the heat to medium. Do not let it boil. You want to maintain the temperature at just below a simmer, where the bubbles just occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir the shells. Stirring will muddy up the stock. As the bubbles come up to the surface a film of foam will develop on the surface. Use a large slotted spoon to skim away this foam. Let the shells cook like this for about an hour; skim the foam every few minutes. The foam comes from shells releasing impurities as their temperature increases.

 

3 Put the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley in cheese cloth. Secure with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.

 

4 Once the stock has stopped releasing foam, you can add the wine, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, herb bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Bring to a low simmer and reduce heat so that the stock continues to simmer, but not boil, for 30 minutes. If more foam comes to the surface, skim it off. Add salt and remove from heat.

 

 

5 Dampen a few layers of cheesecloth and place over a large, fine mesh strainer, over a large pot or bowl. Pour the stock into the strainer. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use in a couple of days, freeze (remember to leave some head room at the top of your freezer container for the liquid to expand as it freezes

 

That sounds ok, I know it says shellfish stock, but I could still eat it as a soup I suppose, or put some chunky pieces of fish in aswell.

 

Ta.

[Chagall]

What, boil the bodies in garlic and butter? Then what,strain it all then eat as a soup?

 

I can do that. Have you done it or are you guessing?

 

 

That sounds ok, I know it says shellfish stock, but I could still eat it as a soup I suppose, or put some chunky pieces of fish in aswell.

 

Ta.

 

Yep, as a basis for soup or a hearty fish stew it will be wonderful....

 

but boiled garlic and butter sounds just as good for something a bit simpler, and chuck in whatever herbs you can find....loverly!

[luctor et emergo]

What, boil the bodies in garlic and butter? Then what,strain it all then eat as a soup?

 

I can do that. Have you done it or are you guessing?

 

 

That sounds ok, I know it says shellfish stock, but I could still eat it as a soup I suppose, or put some chunky pieces of fish in aswell.

 

Ta.

 

 

Somebody mentioned that to me a few years ago, but I have not tried it. It was more of a suggestiion to get the debate astarted. Looking forward to some receipies.

 

Btw, do you need to prepare them by keeping them in clean water for a few days, or can they be used straight away?

[kbarber]

Sauce Nantua. Then (to misquote Mrs Beeton) just catch your pike... quenelles au gratin... one of the great heights of French cuisine.

 

And no, I don't have the recipe to hand

[nb celestine]

Somebody mentioned that to me a few years ago, but I have not tried it. It was more of a suggestiion to get the debate astarted. Looking forward to some receipies.

 

Btw, do you need to prepare them by keeping them in clean water for a few days, or can they be used straight away?

 

To tell you the truth Henk, I dont bother to purge them anymore. With the warm weather you have to keep them cool and change the water regular to keep them alive and you still had to cut the cord out, so now I take them out of the trap and straight in the boiling water then cut the cord out.

They dont taste any different; maybe a touch earthier, but it saves all the mess about.

And I,m not dead yet.

[Caprifool]

Have a traditional Swedish kräftskiva with Chinese lanterns, plastic aprons, silly hats, sing along, lot and lots of moonshine and later on the obligatory wife swapping.

 

Edited August 21, 2012 by Caprifool

[Max Sinclair]

Have a traditional Swedish kräftskiva with Chinese lanterns, plastic aprons, silly hats, sing along, lot and lots of moonshine and later on the obligatory wife swapping.

 

Oh how that brings happy memories flooding back, in the 1960's my customers were Saab, Volvo, Scania Vabis and they were all determined to make me fall under the table, with them.

[nb Innisfree]

Have a traditional Swedish kräftskiva with Chinese lanterns, plastic aprons, silly hats, sing along, lot and lots of moonshine and later on the obligatory wife swapping.

 

 

Would they let me and the missus in? we're in our mid 60s but well preserved.

[Ange]

Have a traditional Swedish kräftskiva with Chinese lanterns, plastic aprons, silly hats, sing along, lot and lots of moonshine and later on the obligatory wife swapping.

 

A greenie for you Caprifool for making me roar with laughter!

[fudd]

Somebody mentioned that to me a few years ago, but I have not tried it. It was more of a suggestiion to get the debate astarted. Looking forward to some receipies.

 

Btw, do you need to prepare them by keeping them in clean water for a few days, or can they be used straight away?

 

A friend of mine gave me 2 buckets of crayfish out of the River Lea near where I live. I put them in the sink in the utility room and left the tap running to purge them. Twenty four hours later my two girls had given them all names. I made a lovely Cajun sauce and all the trimmings. My Jeannie said " you can't eat that! That's Eric!!"

My dinner guests ate the lot but I couldn't bring myself to try one.

Steve P

[Caprifool]

Kräftskiva. Edited August 21, 2012 by Caprifool