People in New Zealand and around the world love their crayfish because it is so good. In some places, it’s considered a luxury food. When it comes to exports, Chatham Island crayfish are known for having a buttery, mildly sweet taste. This is because they grow up in cool, nutrient-rich water. Now that you have a crayfish, how do you make sure it stays fresh and tastes great while you cook it? We go over some dos and don’ts to help you get the most out of your crayfish.
If you’ve purchased frozen crayfish, like our Frozen Crayfish Tails, you’ll need to defrost them before cooking. Putting your cray in a dish with a lid and putting it in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours will help you do this slowly. Like the flesh of most seafood, crayfish is delicate and reacts badly to changes in temperature. Thawing it quickly in water or another way is likely to hurt both the crayfish and your stomach.
When thawed, your crayfish is ready to be cooked. There are different ways to do this depending on the recipe. A common way that many Kiwis will know how to cook crayfish or tails is to put them in a large pot, fill it with sea (or salted) water, bring it to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes (a bigger cray may need an extra minute or two). The trick here is to not remove the cray until the shell has turned bright red. Remember that crayfish meat will continue to cook out of the pot. If you want to avoid this, you can put the boiled cray in a pot or sink of ice for a minute or two before serving.
Everyone has a different story about how to cook crayfish, but most agree on how to store it best. When crayfish come out of the water, they should be put in a saltwater ice mix and put in the freezer right away. It’s best to cook your catch first before freezing it if you want to keep it for a long time. This will help protect the meat and lock in flavour for up to six months.
To do this, you must first kill the crayfish (see below) and then twist the tail away from the body. Put the crayfish tails in a pot with salt water and bring it to a boil. Let them cool down, then pack them up and freeze them.
If you’re planning to eat your crayfish fresh you’ll need to kill it before cooking. By putting it in a small container of water for 30 minutes, you are being very kind to it. Eventually, the crayfish will drown as oxygen in the water is depleted. Once deceased, make sure you clean the crayfish in freshwater. Now it’s ready to be cooked, either by boiling like above, or by steaming, pan-frying, wok-frying, grilling, or barbecuing.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Frozen Crayfish
Crayfish, also referred to as crawfish or crawdads are freshwater crustaceans that resemble small lobsters. They have a sweet, mild flavor and a tender, juicy meat that makes them a delicious culinary delicacy.
Crayfish are often sold live or frozen. While live crayfish require purging before cooking, frozen crayfish come ready to use, either raw or pre-cooked. However, it’s still important to properly clean frozen crayfish prior to eating them or incorporating them into recipes.
Follow this simple, step-by-step guide to learn how to clean frozen crayfish and prepare them for cooking or consumption.
Things You’ll Need
- Frozen crayfish
- Cold water
- Large bowl
- Colander
- Kitchen shears or sharp knife
- Paper towels
- Plate or baking sheet
Step 1: Rinse the Frozen Crayfish
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Place the frozen crayfish in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes until slightly thawed.
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Drain the crayfish in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Rinsing helps thaw them faster and removes any ice crystals or debris from the packaging.
Step 2: Snip Off the Legs
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Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, snip off the legs where they meet the body. Removing the skinny legs allows for easier eating later.
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You can leave the meaty claws attached or snip them off too if desired. The claws contain a good amount of tasty meat.
Step 3: Remove the Tail Fan
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Flip each crayfish over and locate the tail fan. This is the wide, flat portion of the tail with small swimmerets attached.
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Snip off the entire tail fan and discard. This removes the digestive tract which can harbor bacteria.
Step 4: Peel Off the Shell
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For raw frozen crayfish, you’ll need to remove the shell before eating. Grasp the tail and gently peel away the shell from head to tail.
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The shell should come off easily when the crayfish is fully thawed. Repeat for each one.
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For pre-cooked frozen crayfish, the shell can be left on if desired. Just thaw, rinse and serve.
Step 5: Devein the Tail
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Raw crayfish tails need to be deveined. Use a paring knife to make a shallow cut down the inner curve of the tail.
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Pull out the skinny digestive vein that runs the length of the tail. Rinse under water to remove debris.
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Pre-cooked crayfish are typically already deveined. But check for any remaining veins and remove if necessary.
Step 6: Rinse and Pat Dry
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Give the peeled, deveined crayfish a final rinse under cold water to wash away any remnants from cleaning.
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Drain thoroughly then pat dry with paper towels. Moisture will prevent them from sautéing properly.
Step 7: Use Immediately or Refrigerate
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Your cleaned crayfish are now ready to cook! Use them right away for optimal freshness.
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Or arrange in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 1-2 days before cooking or serving cold.
Tips for Cleaning Frozen Crayfish
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For efficiency, clean crayfish while still partially frozen – thawed but icy cold. This prevents them from becoming mushy.
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Rinse under very cold water to maintain their firmness during cleaning. Avoid warm water.
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Snip legs and tail fan at the joints instead of ripping them off to prevent tearing the meat.
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Save any orange roe (eggs), green tomalley (liver), and fat for adding rich flavor to seafood dishes and sauces.
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Cooked crayfish can be quickly cleaned by just rinsing, removing tail meat, and serving cold or reheated.
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Buy quality frozen crayfish from a reputable source and follow all safe handling guidelines.
Storing Cleaned Crayfish
Freshly cleaned raw crayfish:
- Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Cleaned pre-cooked crayfish:
- Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat to 165°F before serving.
Cooked crayfish meat removed from the shells:
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Frozen raw crayfish:
- Seal tightly in freezer bags with as much air pressed out as possible.
- Use within 9 months for best quality.
Frozen cooked crayfish:
- Freeze in freezer bags or airtight containers for up to 4 months.
How to Use Cleaned Frozen Crayfish
Cleaned frozen crayfish offer versatility in the kitchen. They can be used in a variety of appetizers, main dishes, soups and more. Here are some delicious ways to eat frozen crayfish once cleaned:
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Add to gumbo or étouffée for a flavorful Creole dish
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Make succulent crayfish bisque or chowder
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Stuff into po’ boy sandwiches or top salads
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Sprinkle over pasta dishes like linguine or risotto
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Sauté in butter and garlic for easy weeknight meals
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Boil in seasoned water with potatoes and corn
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Mix into seafood stews, paella or jambalaya
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Coat in batter and fry up some crispy crayfish tails
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Eat chilled with cocktail sauce for easy hors d’oeuvres
The Takeaway
With their firm texture and mild, sweet taste, crayfish can be a tasty and fun meal option. Taking a few minutes to properly clean frozen crayfish ensures you can enjoy their delicious meat and makes preparing succulent crayfish dishes a breeze.
Follow the simple process of rinsing, removing legs and shells, deveining the tail meat, and patting dry. Then use the cleaned crayfish immediately in your favorite recipe or store properly in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to cook.
Cleaning your own frozen crayfish also lets you control the quality and presentation. So grab a bag of frozen crawdads and get ready for some finger-licking, seafood fun!
Frozen Crawfish Boil – How to cook Frozen Crawfish – PoorMansGourmet
FAQ
Do you defrost crayfish before cooking?
How to prepare frozen crayfish?