Any boy who spent his childhood in a village on the riverbank probably knows how to clean crayfish. Residents of big cities are less likely to encounter this delicacy: at a picnic or at a pub. But this useful skill certainly will not hurt anyone.
Key Features
For those who have never experienced the procedure, it sometimes seems simply unbearable. Indeed, in the cinema we often see outlandish cutlery, more like instruments of torture: tongs, needles, hooks. In fact, they are not intended for crayfish at all, but for their relatives, who are large in size and have a much stronger chitinous cover. With the help of such tools eat lobsters, lobsters, crabs. But the process of cleaning crayfish requires some knowledge and skills. This is not so complicated, it is only worth understanding the principle once.
Preliminary stage: washing
In a quiet pool there are ... crayfish! The muddy bottom, burrows, driftwood, thickets of coastal vegetation - these are their favorite places. Crayfish are distinguished by a peculiar way of movement. They have several pairs of limbs and a tail covered with plates. Therefore, it is not surprising that before cleaning the crayfish, they need to be thoroughly washed. If you have access to running water, it will be easier for you. First send the crayfish to the bath, fill them. Forget about them for an hour. They will crawl through each other, trying to get out. During this fuss, part of the sand will be washed. The intestines will clear during these procedures.
But with the shells have to tinker. It’s good if there is an opportunity to arrange showers of crabs by pouring water under high pressure. If this is not possible, fill them with liquid in a container. Then stir with your hands, drain and pour again until the water becomes clear. An important rule is that if dead animals come up during these bathing procedures, catch them and discard them. You can only cook live crayfish.
Then you still have to take time for everyone. Cancer can be cleaned with an ordinary toothbrush. Rinse the abdomen under running water. In nature, where there is no hose or tap, the procedure will take longer. You can use water from the same reservoir where the crayfish were caught.
Heat treatment
Every crayfish hunter will certainly know his own cooking method. Someone claims that there is nothing better than salted boiling water, to which of the spices is added only a bay leaf. And someone prefers sophisticated recipes with an abundance of seasonings and herbs. As soon as they cook this river delicacy! Baked on the grill, stewed in beer and milk, boiled in broth ... But all experts agree on how to clean the crayfish properly: by hand and always after cooking, and not raw.
Cleaning procedure
By and large, there is no law that strictly regulates how to clean crayfish. Everyone does what is convenient for him. Therefore, you can offer only some recommendations:
- Tear off the cancer tail. It is easy to do with your hands. Pull the tail fin, the chitin cover will fall apart, allowing you to get to the delicate white meat. There are quite a few in the tail.
- Flip the cancer back. Spread the sides of the cephalothorax plate. If you disassemble the cancer carefully, the intestines and internal organs will not be damaged.
- Separate the claws. They can simply be chewed by sucking juicy meat. The forelimbs, from which claws grow, are also very tasty. Chitin at this place is not too fat. It can be easily opened.
- There is some meat in the legs. Many people prefer them as an appetizer for beer. Disassembling chitin tubes is not easy. Therefore, they are also simply chewed.
- Separate the head, scraping off the meat from the inner surface of the chitinous cover.
- The inner surface of the shell is covered with a peculiar mass. It may be white or yellowish. It is fat, healthy and delicious.
Before cleaning boiled crayfish, allow them to cool at least a little. The carapace will already feel warm to the touch, but the juice splashing from the inside can burn very much.
Alternative methods
Some brasserie restaurants offer guests an unusual treat of river animals, cutting them in half lengthwise and baking grilled halves. In this case, there is no question of how to clean the cancer. The photo allows you to make sure that they can simply be eaten with your hands or small cutlery, disassembling into pieces.
Serving dishes, rules of consumption
Boiled crayfish do not belong to haute cuisine. This treat is suitable for a relaxed atmosphere in a close family or friendly circle. Often they become the main event of a feast in nature. All this contributes to the fact that the rules of etiquette regarding the supply and consumption of cancers are very democratic. Usually they are presented in a wide dish, and laid out on portioned plates with hands. In order to clean and eat cancer, no cutlery is needed. Unless some very large specimens with massive claws fall into the catch. You may need to use forceps to open them.
Together with crayfish, chopped lemon is often served. It is worth saying that the tradition of serving seafood, red fish and crustaceans with acid citrus has a mixed history. The best chefs believe that lemon or lime ruins the delicate taste of the main product. And he is needed only for rubbing his fingers to remove a specific smell. But someone likes sourness, which emphasizes the expressive taste of crayfish. Therefore, in the company of a mountain of boiled river inhabitants, one can often find bright yellow citrus circles. They are also useful to those who know how to clean crayfish, but do not like it when their hands smell. Fresh greens are good for taste, aroma, and color. Especially good with crayfish dill.