What is the most common mistake those who cook crayfish for the first time make? Bashny.Net

While the sun is in the sign of Cancer, the stars themselves seem to hint to us that it is time to get to know these inhabitants of freshwater reservoirs better. How to cook crayfish properly so that they delight us with their delicate taste?



Regardless of whether the crayfish are caught with their own hands under a river stone or bought at the city market, their preparation has common features. Everything seems simple, but there are nuances. Today we will introduce them to our readers.

How to cook crayfish correctly Choosing crayfish The first and very important point: in order to avoid food poisoning, it is recommended to cook only live crayfish with a uniformly colored shell. Cancers have to wiggle their whiskers, click their claws. In a word, show sufficient activity.





Rinse the crayfish in cold water before cooking. Immerse them in clean water for 1–2 hours to make it easier to wash the shells of silt and algae. And then wash with a stream of running water (you can use a brush).



If you've caught crayfish or made an unexpected purchase, but can't cook them right away, send them to the refrigerator. Cover the container for vegetables with a bag, put the river inhabitants there and cover with a damp cloth. In the refrigerator for crayfish, winter comes and they hibernate.

Classic Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kg live crayfish
• 3 l of water
• 6 tbsp. tablespoons of salt (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water)
• 2 bay leaves per kg of crayfish
• 5-8 black peppercorns per kg of crayfish
• 5-6 dill umbrellas
• large saucepan (not aluminum)

Preparation

1. Rinse live crayfish in water.
   
   
   
2. Bring water in a saucepan to a boil. It is advisable to take stainless steel dishes. An aluminum saucepan can turn black and ruin the taste of your food.
3. You won't want to eat under-salted crayfish, and over-salted ones - even more so. Therefore, add salt to the water, at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water. Add dill and pepper. Spices can be boiled in boiling water for several minutes. The result is an impromptu broth.
4. Throw crayfish into boiling water, gently holding them by the back. You can put a plate on top to ensure that the arthropods are completely submerged in the water.
5. Wait for the water to boil again. It is believed that large crayfish should be boiled for at least 45 minutes. This opinion is erroneous, from a long cooking crayfish meat becomes tough and loses its taste. The cooking time of crayfish depends on their size. Small crayfish (weighing up to 60 grams) need to be boiled for no more than 15 minutes (at least to ensure that they get rid of all parasites). Large crayfish take about 20 minutes.
   
   
6. Add the bay leaf 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Leave the boiled crayfish in the broth for another minute, without removing the lid. This is necessary so that the crayfish are saturated with the aroma of spices, become more juicy and tender.
   
   
   
7. Take out the crayfish with a slotted spoon in a bowl and call everyone at home.
8. Bon Appetit!

Crayfish with corn

Ingredients

• live crayfish
• 1.5 liters of water per kg of crayfish
• 300 g vacuum packed corn per kg of crayfish
• 200 ml of beer per 1 kg of crayfish
• 2 tbsp. l. salt per 1 kg of crayfish
• a few dill umbrellas
• 2 bay leaves per kg of crayfish
• juice and peel of one lemon (optional)
• 5-8 black peppercorns per kg of crayfish

Preparation

1. Lightly fry the corn in a skillet (10 minutes is sufficient).
2. Fill the pot three-quarters full. Add dill, salt, bay leaf and pepper. Bring water to a boil and leave for 20 minutes.
3. Put corn and prepared live crayfish in the water. Salt and boil the crayfish for about 10 minutes.
4. When the crayfish start to turn red, pour in the beer. But not in a mug, but straight into a saucepan. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, not forgetting to stir.
5. After that, remove from heat, cover with a lid and let stand for 10 minutes so that the treat is saturated with the aroma of broth.
   
   
   

So that both you and your guests are satisfied with the taste of river inhabitants, squeeze the juice of one lemon into boiling water and send the zest there. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes. The lemon flavor of the broth will enrich the finished dish with spicy notes.

Now you know how to cook crayfish properly and you can cook this delicacy for your friends and loved ones at any time. Bon Appetit!