mudbugs

henapple

Going to Gulfport MS and found crawfish for $2.90/lb. Anyone ever cook them on the egg?I always do a boil but thought I'd ask.

Wolfpack

In their shells don't think you would add much trying to do them on the egg. But haven't tried. With all of the Cajuns on here now I am sure you can get an expert opinion.

nolaegghead

SACREBLEU!  Dem crawfish be boiled first, den eat or shell and cook in nanny's etouffee!!!

henapple

@nolaegghead...I what seasoning do you use?

CeramicChef

I'd do a potful of etoufee in my Ducth Oven on the BGE!

nolaegghead

@henapple I like the Zatarain's liquid seasoning as a base.  So many recipes for crawfish and many are closely guarded secrets down here.  You can't go wrong with that seasoning, salt, some citrus, lots and lots of garlic, and the veggies you throw in add to the flavor.  Technique is BIG.  I'm not a big boiler, but I have some friends that are.  I'll try to hook ya up.

henapple

whirl

CeramicChef said:

I'd do a potful of etoufee in my Ducth Oven on the BGE!

Great idea..never cooked it before. Might do it.

nolaegghead

If you do an etouffee, buy some peeled crawfish tails.  They're always frozen - try to get the Louisiana grown over the Chinese.  Texas is second choice.

henapple

You don't peel your own?

nolaegghead

henapple said:

You don't peel your own?

Hell no - and I think I speak for the majority - anything you peel you're eating and sucking on the head. 

Wolfpack

Amazing what you all will do for some beads Hope Mardi Gras is going well and enjoy SB

NibbleMeThis

I would stick with doing the boil, that's the best way! 

We have a little annual local food blogger get together in East TN/West NC each May and 2012 was crawfish boil.  Half the people said they "might try" the mud bugs.  EVERYONE ended up loving them, our best event to date.   The head cook was a NOLA transplant and he swore by Zatarain's Pro Boil. 

One thing I learned was that a turkey fryer and a crawfish boil burner are not the same thing, the turkey fryer was underpowered compared to his burner.  (We used one of each).

You might have to make it over here from Nashville this year

hartofatiger

+1 on the Zatarain's Pro Boil.  It comes in a 53 oz jar.  I add a can of frozen OJ concentrate.  First boil Onion, Garlic, Corn, Potatoes, Sausage, Mushrooms, Artichokes.  Then boil bugs.  Throw some ice on top after you cut the fire to stop cooking and to allow them to soak.

Skiddymarker

I know they are not what you folks call mudbugs, but Pacific shrimp are great boiled and head/shell removed, then chilled. We fry in butter and Cajun seasoning, always served with citrus. Very popular in some pubs, even more than wings!

Geez. I'd love to try some of that real southern cooking. 

cajunduck

Everything tastes good in crawfish boil. I even drop hard boiled eggs, hot dogs, sausage, and cauliflower. I use Zatarains boil, Swamp Dust, and everything else is a secret. Usually boil over 300lbs a season.

Botch

When you live in Utard, with 4~5' piles of snow on each side of your driveway/sidewalk, you shouldn't read these kinds of threads...  :((

Griffin

NibbleMeThis said:

One thing I learned was that a turkey fryer and a crawfish boil burner are not the same thing, the turkey fryer was underpowered compared to his burner.  (We used one of each).

Really? I didn't know that. Turkey fryer has always worked for us, but we usually keep it around 25lbs of bugs. Maybe I need to go get a new toy.

NibbleMeThis

Griff - I can ask AJ (the guy doing the cooking in the pics) for the specifics but I think he said something about the burner holes were a different size or configuration.  I'll let you know. 

brass

long long time lurker, first time poster

been using my egg for 3 or 4 years now, watching alot of posts on pizza, steak, etc. I am still a novice but i have been cooking crawfish for a long time. While i have never cooked them on the egg, i do have a custom pot and i figured you guys would enjoy a look at it, i normally cook 1-2000 lbs of bugs a year

YEMTrey

Great first post Brass.  Nice setup you have there.

henapple

Well, I didn't get any bugs...hit town too late and left too early. I have a double burner stand with two heads...one with the small star shape and one larger with port holes around the outer edge. I'll be in Destin and Mobile next....maybe there.

BU_BBQ

brass said:

long long time lurker, first time poster

been using my egg for 3 or 4 years now, watching alot of posts on pizza, steak, etc. I am still a novice but i have been cooking crawfish for a long time. While i have never cooked them on the egg, i do have a custom pot and i figured you guys would enjoy a look at it, i normally cook 1-2000 lbs of bugs a year

Those pics have me ready for crawfish season. Sweet looking setup. As of last season I bought my whole setup and have been doing crawfish but haven't perfected everything. How do you cook yours (times, powder)? Just curious so I can get better myself.

Parallel

Now THAT is doing it right brass. With that rig it wouldn't take so long to fill up the boat...

nolaegghead

@brass - very nice!  dunno where yat, but a buddy of mine runs a festival called the Louisiana Crawfish Boil Championships - they're on year 12 or 13.  It's in Marrero, LA at the Immaculate Conception school some time in the Spring.   I think they had around 50 teams compete last year.

http://icschargers.org/cms/

YEMTrey

Parallel said:

Now THAT is doing it right brass. With that rig it wouldn't take so long to fill up the boat...

I love this picture on so many levels.  Beautiful.

brass

BU_BBQ said:

brass said:

long long time lurker, first time poster

been using my egg for 3 or 4 years now, watching alot of posts on pizza, steak, etc. I am still a novice but i have been cooking crawfish for a long time. While i have never cooked them on the egg, i do have a custom pot and i figured you guys would enjoy a look at it, i normally cook 1-2000 lbs of bugs a year

Those pics have me ready for crawfish season. Sweet looking setup. As of last season I bought my whole setup and have been doing crawfish but haven't perfected everything. How do you cook yours (times, powder)? Just curious so I can get better myself.

with my big pot it is more trial and error but last year i discovered the source (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BIXJG2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00) so now i just use about 4 cups of some seafood boil, arts, pats, homemade, etc, some liquid zatarians, if you can find the gallon jugs, about a cup or so and then put about 3 healthy drops of the source. 

I bring it to a boil, put in about 120 lbs a time, bring it back up to boil, kill the heat and let them soak for a while, normally a couple of beers time. I have tried the ice method as mentioned before, to me it makes them more juicy and i will do it on the last batch if we have ice.

Put them in a cooler to steam and here is where people like to argue, you can dust them or not, i like a little dust on mine. At every event i due someone always has their way of doing things so i have picked up little ideas over the years.

with my little pot, just scale down the recipe, a good rule of thumb for me, if i can stick my head over the water and the spices make me cough, then it is good to go. 

nolaegghead said:

@brass - very nice!  dunno where yat, but a buddy of mine runs a festival called the Louisiana Crawfish Boil Championships - they're on year 12 or 13.  It's in Marrero, LA at the Immaculate Conception school some time in the Spring.   I think they had around 50 teams compete last year.

http://icschargers.org/cms/

i am in central AR, conway actually, few mins north of little rock, i will have to check it out, marrero is a good drive for me, i wouldn't be opposed to trying it,

brass

Parallel said:

Now THAT is doing it right brass. With that rig it wouldn't take so long to fill up the boat...

where did you get your pirogue at?

Currently building one for myself right now, might use it for the bugs too though.

Parallel

My neighbor got it, it was used as a display in a grocery store.

Whaler

Throw a Butt in the boil, when the bone pops out....Amazing !