Tennessee Lobster

It's that time of the year again! We're grabbing our sunscreen and our fishing poles and heading back to our most favorite fishing spots. While you're pulling in those big ones to take home to the frying pan, why not grab a few Tennessee lobsters too!

Chances are, you've caught a crawdad out of a stream at some point in your life. They can be found hiding beneath rocks in literally every pool of water, especially in the South. Other than playing with them and challenging them to a game of "can you pinch me" have you really paid much attention to how awesome these little guys are....or how good they taste?

So exactly what is a crawdad?

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters. They are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs, or yabbies.

Crayfish are eaten worldwide. Like other edible crustaceans, only a small portion of the body of a crayfish is eaten. In most prepared dishes, such as soups and bisques, only the tail portion is served. At crawfish boils or other meals where the entire body of the crayfish is presented, other portions, such as the claw meat, may be eaten.

Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps and ditches. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or decomposing, and detritus.

What do they look like?

So, if you're one of the very few people who have never seen or caught a crawdad, you might be wondering what one looks like. Picture a baby lobster, in fact crayfish and lobsters are close relatives. That’s why they look so much alike, and people seem to confuse the two. They may taste the same when cooked and look the same while alive, but several differences set them apart.

Crayfish, can reach a length of 6 inches, can weigh up to 8 lbs, and have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years. They have a hard exoskeleton to protect their inner tissues and vital organs. Their exoskeleton can be yellow, pink, orange, brown, or greenish-blue. Crayfish are constantly shedding and regrowing their exoskeleton.

Their carapace, the part of the exoskeleton that protects the head and vital organs, is hard, yet smooth. Crayfish take in oxygen with their feather-like gills.

Crayfish use their two front claws to crush and tear their food apart. They have five pairs of walking legs in the front. There are also five pairs of smaller limbs, called swimmerets, that end in pincers.

How do they taste?

Historically, crawfish was originally a poor man’s food. It was only in the mid-19th century that things changed, and it gained attention for its rich and unique taste. It was only during this time that it became a delicacy for the wealthy. It has remained this way ever since.

The taste of crawfish is indescribable. There is no other food that tastes like it in the world. Many people think that crawfish meat should taste like a lobster or crab because it is a crustacean, but crawfish is actually classified as a type of fish. However, it tastes nothing like what a fish tastes like.

The taste of crawfish is sweet, and it has a firm texture. The actual flavor of the meat is something of a cross between shrimp and crab.

How do I eat a crawdad?

If it is your first time to eat a crawfish, things can get messy if you don’t do it the right way. You may also risk wasting some of the precious meat if you don’t eat the crawfish correctly.

If you plan to cook the crawfish yourself, an important note to remember is to ensure that the crawfish is still alive before you start cooking it. That way, you can guarantee maximum freshness.

Here is a step-by-step guide to eating crawfish properly.

Step 1: First, twist the head of the crawfish and take it off. You have the option of sucking out the juice from the head. In many cases though, people don’t like the head, and you may choose to discard it and enjoy the rest of the meat instead.

Step 2: Next, you will need to carefully peel off the shell and get the meat inside. Hold the crawfish tail and slowly peel along the edge, making sure no meat is left inside the shell. If you have not already, prepare some dipping sauces if you’d like. A side of butter would also work perfectly.

Step 3: Firmly grasp the tail of the crawfish and pull out its meat. If you are cautious, you might be able to get all the meat in one piece.

The only way to fully appreciate the taste of crawfish is to taste it for oneself. The experience is unlike any other so go find yourself some crawdads to cook!

How do I cook crawdads?

Elvis once said "if you boil a crawfish just right, it'll be sweeter than sugar when you take a bite." And although the King wrote the book on peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches, he, unfortunately, took the secrets of a perfect crawfish boil to his potentially-empty grave.

You must have live crawfish! Some people use frozen crawfish, but it's just not the same. Go with live if you can get your hands on the little guys

You need to have enough crawfish for everyone!

Since crawfish are more of an appetizer, you need one to three pounds per person. That might seem like a ton of food, but it's important to remember that there's much more craw than fish (as in, you'll be doing a lot of peeling to get to all that good, juicy stuff). When in doubt, it's better to have more than enough for everyone than not enough.

You must clean them!

They're called mudbugs for a reason: they live in the dirt. If you don't clean them thoroughly, you risk a mouth full of grass, bait, or trash. And after you see how much filth comes off them, you will want these things to be as close to Godliness as possible. Save yourself the trouble of chewing on bits of debris and give them a thorough wash.

You need the right equipment!

The rule of thumb for pot size is a 2:1 quart to pound ratio. If you never did well on the math section of the SAT, that means a 60 quart pot will cook 30 pounds of crawfish.

You need the right seasoning!

Everyone has their favorite brand of seasoning, however from experience we recommend Louisiana Crawfish Boil. It's about $2.00 a bag and oh so good!

You must add veggies!

Well, you don't really have to, but it's really, really tasty if you do!

Add potatoes first, followed by whatever else you want. Popular choices are corn on the cob, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and artichokes, but you might also want to try a more underrated vegetable. Your options are endless so make it your own and do what sounds best to you!

Add crawfish to the rapidly boiling water, cover with lid, and wait for them to return to a boil.

Boiling times may vary depending on the time of the year and the thickness of the shell, but once they come back to a boil, let them boil for no longer than 2mins. This is where many people mess up. You can overcook a crawfish very easily, and then peeling gets tough.

While you’re waiting on them to finish boiling, take an ice chest and sprinkle a light layer of seafood boil on the bottom. Once the crawfish have reached your desired cooking time (less is better), dump into the ice chest, sprinkling each layer evenly with seafood boil. Once you’ve covered the last layer, you and a buddy need to shake the ice chest to thoroughly mix the seasoning.

Let them steam for 15mins with the lid on the ice chest.

Gather your platters and serve the crawfish after at least 15mins of steaming. The more time in the box, the spicier they will be.

Enjoy one of the South's finest delicacies!