Cray Fish

[steve64]

I every body caught 100 Cray fish today!
Cooked in large pan of water with garlic, lemon, mixed herbs, white wine.
They were lovely!
Served them like a prawn cocktail.
My dad catches them in traps on his fishing lake he runs, Some times he gets
300+
Next time I’m going to take them all and freeze the cooked meat for later.
Do you have any recipes?

Thanks Steve

[Shirley]

Where did you catch those Steve??? I've never eaten them but have tried langoustine - similar I think, but different.

[steve64]

Hi Shirlz2005
A 10 acre lake on a private golf club in east London. The fishing club have
Made 14 traps, each week they empty the traps cut the Cray fish up with a spade
and re bait the traps with the dead Cray fish.
They consider them a pest. I think they get 15 to 20 thousand a year! That’s
Why I would like some ideas of what to do with the Cray fish.

Steve

[Shirley]

WOW that's a lot in a year... I had heard that they were considered a pest... http://www.utahdiving.com/recipes.htm there are some to be going on with... it would be good if you could tell us your favourites... just in case we ever come across any :D

[steve64]

I’ve eaten langoustine and they are lovely but expensive.
The Cray fish are called signal Cray fish, An American import like the grey squirrel
a pest.
But they do taste nice.

http://www.frs-scotland.gov.uk/Uploads/ ... ayfish.pdf

[steve64]

Fantastic I’m going to try most of them.

Thanks Steve

If my spelling and grammar were perfect I wouldn’t be a French polisher.

[chadspad]

Was watching 'The F Word' the other night (honestly there was nothing else to do!) and Gordon was cooking with the American Crayfish. He said that anyone is allowed to catch them cos they are classed as a nuisance. He said u have to get a licence and its free - whether that meant the licence is free or the crayfish are free, he didnt say! Anyway heres a link for his recipe:

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites ... salad.html

[WitchypooNo2]

Fab with chilli butter, heaps of garlic and a dash of white wine. Oh and Chucks of crusty bread!

mmmmmmmmmmm

[steve64]

Hi steve, ust wondered if theres any chance i could try some? Im in essex as well and have been looking for a spot that might hold some crayfish so i can catch and try them as i am told they are delisious.
Thanks
Pilsbury

Hi Pilsbury

The fishing lake is on a private golf course, they don’t want to get involved
In selling them to anybody! But with my farther being the fishing club secretary
I get them for helping the club.
This morning they caught 210 crayfish, but they only 50 of the biggest which I will cook later today!

I could keep them all, and you could come down to my house and pick some up? If you like them we can make it a regular thing.

Thanks Steve

[steve64]

Hi Pilbury
Reply to private message

When I prep I do purge them when I don’t have too many, trying to keep them alive in a water when you have more than 150 is difficult and waste full on water!
If you don’t purge you have to remove the intestine which is black from its last meal, in this case salmon heads from the fish mongers, we use to bate the traps.
When you cut the back of the cooked peeled tails and remove the intestine they look a bit like king prawns, but not as chewy. The tails are about 0ne inch to inch and three quarters long, when peeled.
You can get a tea spoon of meat from each claw as well.

They taste great, when I cook them my kids sit in eager anticipation of peeling them and eating them.
I’ve got your number I well ring you.

Steve Essex

[STHLMgreen]

If you like spicy food and have a big enough pot you could always try them New Orleans style...

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/seafood/craw-boil.html

It's where I'm from and there's nothing like it.

[the.fee.fairy]

Steve - if you still have some left over, let me know. I live on the herts/essex border. I'll gladly take some off your hands!

[steve64]

Hi the.free.fairy

We have bated the traps this Sunday, with salmon skin-heads.
So if we get the size catches as before I should have two hundred+
Cray fish.
It takes about 50 to 70 to give us a good meal for 4 people that’s lots
Of protein.
If you want to pop a long Sunday afternoon you can do, and if you help peel them you could take some home.
I live in Chadwell heath
You can contact me by secure email I will then give you my address.

Steve
Essex

[steve64]

My farther in-law emptied the traps on Thursday because they were a lot of fry in the traps( baby carp). He court about 120 Cray fish which I have cook and eaten nice!!
So with on Sunday they should be less Cray fish because most of the bate had being eaten by the Cray fish. But still should get more than 100+ .

Steve
Essex

[the.fee.fairy]

Hi Steve...

Can't make it tomorrow, i checked the bus and train timetables...then the lines came down last night

Let me know when you're available again, and i'll be there!

Sorry about the short notice...only found out about the lines this morning!!