Moderators dtel Posted August 26, 2006 Author Moderators Share Posted August 26, 2006 How long it is cooked is what makes the difference, ever notice if shrimp is not boiled for the right time it gets hard to peel. Shrimp is the hardest to get right. With crawfish we bring the water to a boil add the crawfish and when it comes back to a boil turn it off. Then let soak for about 30 minutes, about 5 minutes into soaking the crawfish seem to want to float. They rise inches out of the water to the point where all you see is crawfish, over the next 25 minutes they sink back into the water absorbing the seasoned water. The last 5 or 10 minutes you can take a couple out let them cool and test them. You check to see how easy they peel and if they have enough flavor, because you can always let them soak a little longer. The longer they soak the more spices they absorb. If they are done they will not have to be pealed just pinch at the bottom of the tail and the meat will pop out. Actually you bite the meat where it was connected to the head while pinching to help pull it out. It's very important to put the corn in when they begin to soak, or a few minutes later. If corn is put in any earler it over cooks and gets hard where you cant eat it, the corn is frozen when we put it in, if fresh add it about half way thru the soak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 excuse my northern ignorance, are the crayfish alive still like lobster or dead like shrimp? Before you handle them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 26, 2006 Author Moderators Share Posted August 26, 2006 They are alive when you put them in the water. I would not call it ignorance you have to remember a coonass will eat almost anything, so you have to learn to cook almost anything. Put enough seasoning on it and make it taste good and a coonass will eat almost anything. Seasoning is not just pepper, I have been out of town and ate at so called " cajun " restaurants and they thought if you add more pepper you can call it Cajun. Although many recipes are a little spicy it's not just pepper. Real cajun food is really just country food with some unusual ingredients and spices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted August 26, 2006 Moderators Share Posted August 26, 2006 excuse my northern ignorance, are the crayfish alive still like lobster or dead like shrimp? Before you handle them. You buy them in sacks, I always try and find Selects which are the extra larges ones, and they are very much alive, you pour the little critters into the boiling water and once it comes back up to a boil it does not take long at all for them to be done. Boiled crawfish don't really keep well, they need to be live and fresh when they hit the water. We always get ours from a friend in Breaux Bridge, "Crawfish Capitol of the World." The season used to be fairly short for them, late winter into early spring, but some smart folks at LSU have developed ways to extend the season on each end. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Thanks Dtel and DWILawyer. The closest crayfish I have seen here was not at a fishmarket but a specialty fish shop where they sold live blue crayfish for pets and not eating. I guess they do not keep on the way to NY or there just is no demands for our "refined" northern tastes [8-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 thanks dtel. I didn't realize it would take that long to finish after the initial boil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 My sister in law (that lives with us since Katrina) just read this thread. She thinks it is hilarious. BTW, she is from Da Parish, ya know. She told me I hadda put dat in wit da accents in the area, because "Da Parish" haz itz own accent if ya know what a mean? I figer some of ya know what Da Parish means, if not some of r local yokels will surely tell yall. Some of my best friends are from Da Parish. I am waiting for Rocky & Carlos to reopen. I hope the menu doesn't change. My last exam my cholesteral was a mere 180, so I am due for another heap of their onion rings and a shrimp po-boy. Boom, I think Rocky and Carlos may have reopened, and it is cleaner than ever.[] Although that never stopped us from eating there. They have the best onion rings around and guess what...I know how to cook onion rings like that. I might have to do that soon. BTW, Boom I did not get the email from you, so I sent you a pm. I didn't know that you had friends in da Parish? That's where dtel grew up after his family was forced to move "outta da nint ward." We do not have HBO so a neighbor taped the Spike Lee Hurricane Katrina documentary for us. We watched the first two hours last night and I was laughing and crying at the same time. The accents were too much.[] Christy, I replied to your PM. I hope that function at least is working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klipschaholik Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Me, Ah tank it git cole enuf las nite dat we dun made a "GUMBO" Srimp an andouille wit Okra. Man dat was gude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Piney Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 I believe that ya'll left out part of that recipe. In northern La, (Monroe-whole different country), whiskey and beer were a large part of the ingredients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Yes Piney, beer and whiskey are a part of it but they usually don't go in the pot they go in the consumer of the bugs and crab. We have at least one big bug party every year and we usually boil at least 400 lbs of bugs and yes we always pinch da tail an suck da head. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Me, Ah tank it git cole enuf las nite dat we dun made a "GUMBO" Srimp an andouille wit Okra. Man dat was gude. That looks mighty tasty klipschaholik, do you make your own roux??? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 1, 2006 Author Moderators Share Posted October 1, 2006 That gumbo looks good ! I think I will agree with Customsteve " Yes Piney, beer and whiskey are a part of it but they usually don't go in the pot they go in the consumer of the bugs and crab " Do they really put that in the pot, never heard of that ? And I have heard of some strange things being added to the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Hey dtel, Do you make your own Roux? Mine is usually about a three beer Roux[] Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 HEY!! dtels, If I can't say Jap, you can't say Coonass ! Hope to see you again in Indy '07. Best regards, Terry PS: Now I am starving from looking at the pix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klipschaholik Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Oh, yeah, peanut oil and flour and of course a cast iron pot. It's definitely a "tree beer" roux. None in the pot though, it's for keeping the cook cool. As you can see I usually make a little mess when i get in the kitchen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Piney Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Yes Piney, beer and whiskey are a part of it but they usually don't go in the pot they go in the consumer of the bugs and crab. We have at least one big bug party every year and we usually boil at least 400 lbs of bugs and yes we always pinch da tail an suck da head. Steve OK, it's coming back to me now. Whiskey for the cook and his helpers. Beer for the cook and his helpers and if some made it into the jambalaya, dat was OK too. And then, uh, yes, more whiskey, stir the pot, check the bugs...........................And then it was Monday??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 1, 2006 Author Moderators Share Posted October 1, 2006 Well to tell the truth my wife does it , smoked up the house one day. I would tend to get distracted at the wrong time and burn it. There is a fine line between good and burned taste, and I tend to try to brown a little to much and it can get nasty real quick. IB, I don't know about the Jap thing but Coonass is a good thing to me. Now a Coonneck is not so good, Coonass / Redneck, I don't know where Hillbilly fits in, I would bet closer to Redneck but eats anything like a Coonass. Did I cover them all, not really but close enough to get in trouble. One more just to push my luck. Yankee , still trying to figure them out ? No really is the term Yankee considered a bad thing ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 klipschaholik. That gumbo looks great. You've got the real deal there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klipschaholik Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 I think i've got it down now. I've been cooking gumbo in that cast iron pot for 25 years and my mom who gave it to me probably cooked in it for 25 years before that. It's made a roux or two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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