Crawdaddin'

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Crayfish, crawdads, 'dads, fresh water langostino, whatever you call the little red arthropods that scurry on the bottom of most fresh water lakes and streams, they are tasty treats when prepared correctly. They have a mild lobster taste and firm textured white meat.

We get them by net or by ring. We usually bait with fish chunks, salmon being the preferred delicacy, then pass by the bait several times to net the critters lured out to the bait. Or, we use rings with nets baited similarly, coming by after a bit to bring them up and reap the bounty.

We cook them by bringing salted water to a boil that has a generous handful of pickling spice in it. Then, we put the crawdads in live, bring back to a boil, and cook for twelve minutes. We remove them and eat them with melted butter, sometimes mayonnaise. They are also delicious cold with mayonnaise.

We eat tails and claws. Some folks suck the brine and innards from the body of the shell. It is popular in the south to do so. My family and I have never developed a taste for that. In fact, I find the idea of it nauseating. But, to each their own...