Massaman Crawfish Boil Curry!!!

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civilsmoker

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Jan 27, 2015
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Idaho
My boy and me recently had and opportunity to spend the day on the lake with Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ and his son Pete “hunting” down some “Idaho Lobsters” aka the signal crawfish….. so a big shout to the SMF for allowing people from all over to share a common love of food and life!

It was a beautiful day on the lake with good company, music, snacks, and people watching (all the wake surfers). It started by stuffing 1/2 a dozen cut up whole tilapia into 15 traps w/40 ft of line and a buoy…..it’s a challenge to keep everything straight and in order while setting them along 700 feet or so of shore line….ie a rocky bottom at 30-35 ish feet deep…… 3 hours later…..the reward!
IMG_9869.jpeg

Got a very nice haul!!! Averaged 8-9 per trap…..that’s a whole bunch of crawlers!
IMG_9874.jpeg

so after cleaning all the bait boxes, and dealing with all the line and storing the traps we called it a day and split the spoils with Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ and Pete at sunset on the lake and parted ways!

I like to boil them up same day so our share went into a seasoned pot for a hot pot bath…. Old bay, kinders seafood, garlic & onion powder, crab boil, and some white wine vinegar…….
IMG_9877.jpeg

Doing the midnight rapid air cool!
IMG_9881.jpeg

Now this is a bowl full of crawlers!!!!
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Most of these got wrapped in plastic wrap (to protect or cover all the sharp spines) then into a vacuum bag for the freezer!!!!

However we did save some for the following days meal……they were going to be shelled and into some Alfredo but the wife wanted to try a new curry paste she recently got at the big town Asian market……

So as I was spinning crawler tails and shelling claws she was simmering some galangal root, lime leaf, lemon grass root, massaman, baby spuds, onion, and roots….man oh man the flavors and smell……sorry no pics as I was busy cleaning the crawlers…… after a long simmer and the roots were just right the pot got some coconut milk to round it out and then the cleaned crawlers and a wife idea add to drop some shrimp and scallops. The scallops were spilt and got a 45 second pan sear to flavor and then dropped in the pot with the rest of the goodies!

Ok so enough words….the pic!
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It got ladled over rice and topped with GO, cilantro, Thai red peppers, and roasted peanuts…..
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Oh my this is my new fav curry of all time!!!!

Oh need to add I’ve seen Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ traditional boil pics, I hope he posts them as they are perfect boil!!!!!
 
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Very cool fellas, looks like a great time with great people & great food. Pretty hard to beat that. 👍
That JL it was a great day on the water for sure! Oh and we like to keep thinks mixed up hear too! The wife likes to try new things……oh and I’m OK with that!!!
 
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I've never had crawfish that I know of, but I hear they taste like lobsters. I know for sure that I'd woof down a few bowls of that curry Cortney.

Point for sure
Chris

Side note: our local grocer does sell frozen crawfishs, but they're farm raised in another country. I was once told to avoid those so I've never tried them.
 
That closeup should easily make the featured spinner. Beautiful. I've never had huge lake bugs like that. Didn't care for craw-fish tails when I made an etouffee one time, but those were frozen already peeled/shelled. I've never had them fresh from the mud.

Never had Massaman curry either probably because I lean toward the hot curries and dishes in the Thai places and I dont want peanuts on my food. But I think my wife would like the flavor profile with the warm Indian-type spices. I can omit the peanuts and the carrots (not a fan of cooked carrots either) and step on the heat for us.

Did you find that curry paste to have those cinnamon, cardamom, coriander flavors?
 
I've never had crawfish that I know of, but I hear they taste like lobsters. I know for sure that I'd woof down a few bowls of that curry Cortney.

Point for sure
Chris

Side note: our local grocer does sell frozen crawfishs, but they're farm raised in another country. I was once told to avoid those so I've never tried them.
Thanks Chris and they taste like a blend of lobster and snow crab. The claws are very similar to snow crab claws but not as rich. They can be eaten cold with cocktail sauce as well..... I will not confirm or deny a planned crawfish cocktail salad in the future.... I have eaten the frozen whole ones and they are way better than the frozen peeled, but they just aren't like the fresh clean water ones. This lake and the snake river are known for being exceptional clean water fisheries!
I'm salivating here! That looks like a hell of a boat ride to flavor town!!!! Nicely done!!
Thanks, swamp and yes it was a flavor town boat right for sure! The flavors were magical!
That closeup should easily make the featured spinner. Beautiful. I've never had huge lake bugs like that. Didn't care for craw-fish tails when I made an etouffee one time, but those were frozen already peeled/shelled. I've never had them fresh from the mud.

Never had Massaman curry either probably because I lean toward the hot curries and dishes in the Thai places and I dont want peanuts on my food. But I think my wife would like the flavor profile with the warm Indian-type spices. I can omit the peanuts and the carrots (not a fan of cooked carrots either) and step on the heat for us.

Did you find that curry paste to have those cinnamon, cardamom, coriander flavors?
Thanks ckd! I'm not a fan of the pre-peeled ones as they don't have right texture or flavor for me. These are "rock dwellers" in this particular lake so they are very very clean and task that way. I like them better than shrimp or lobster to be honest!

Here is the curry paste she uses: I would say its heavier on the galangal and lemon, especially since she uses the root and lemon grass to simmer first. The blend is such you don't get a strong tone of any one spice!
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IMG_9967.jpeg

Man you are killing me! That a gourmet meal fit for a king. Wow!!!
Thanks Brian and not bad for 55 mins.....ie that's the time the rice took and everything else fell withing that time!
 
My boy and me recently had and opportunity to spend the day on the lake with Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ and his son Pete “hunting” down some “Idaho Lobsters” aka the signal crawfish….. so a big shout to the SMF for allowing people from all over to share a common love of food and life!

It was a beautiful day on the lake with good company, music, snacks, and people watching (all the wake surfers). It started by stuffing 1/2 a dozen cut up whole tilapia into 15 traps w/40 ft of line and a buoy…..it’s a challenge to keep everything straight and in order while setting them along 700 feet or so of shore line….ie a rocky bottom at 30-35 ish feet deep…… 3 hours later…..the reward!
View attachment 705368
Got a very nice haul!!! Averaged 8-9 per trap…..that’s a whole bunch of crawlers!
View attachment 705369
so after cleaning all the bait boxes, and dealing with all the line and storing the traps we called it a day and split the spoils with Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ and Pete at sunset on the lake and parted ways!

I like to boil them up same day so our share went into a seasoned pot for a hot pot bath…. Old bay, kinders seafood, garlic & onion powder, crab boil, and some white wine vinegar…….
View attachment 705371
Doing the midnight rapid air cool!
View attachment 705370
Now this is a bowl full of crawlers!!!!
View attachment 705372
Most of these got wrapped in plastic wrap (to protect or cover all the sharp spines) then into a vacuum bag for the freezer!!!!

However we did save some for the following days meal……they were going to be shelled and into some Alfredo but the wife wanted to try a new curry paste she recently got at the big town Asian market……

So as I was spinning crawler tails and shelling claws she was simmering some galangal root, lime leaf, lemon grass root, massaman, baby spuds, onion, and roots….man oh man the flavors and smell……sorry no pics as I was busy cleaning the crawlers…… after a long simmer and the roots were just right the pot got some coconut milk to round it out and then the cleaned crawlers and a wife idea add to drop some shrimp and scallops. The scallops were spilt and got a 45 second pan sear to flavor and then dropped in the pot with the rest of the goodies!

Ok so enough words….the pic!
View attachment 705373
It got ladled over rice and topped with GO, cilantro, Thai red peppers, and roasted peanuts…..
View attachment 705374
Oh my this is my new fav curry of all time!!!!

Oh need to add I’ve seen Rafter H BBQ Rafter H BBQ traditional boil pics, I hope he posts them as they are perfect boil!!!!!

Sorry for the late reply bud… Pete and I had such a good time with you and your son. Such awesome folks on this forum. And getting to meet up is just so cool! Thanks again for the invite! I will do a post of the boil… things have just been a bit busy and I’ve not been on for a bit! Doing some catch up now though! 😉

That all looks top notch as per usual! Some days I wish I had the culinary art you have! My redneck way is usually tasty… but my pics lack the art!

Thanks again for a fun afternoon!
 
Sorry for the late reply bud… Pete and I had such a good time with you and your son. Such awesome folks on this forum. And getting to meet up is just so cool! Thanks again for the invite! I will do a post of the boil… things have just been a bit busy and I’ve not been on for a bit! Doing some catch up now though! 😉

That all looks top notch as per usual! Some days I wish I had the culinary art you have! My redneck way is usually tasty… but my pics lack the art!

Thanks again for a fun afternoon!
No worries and life is a bit crazy right now! Thanks for joining our crew for a day! Me and the boy had a great time! We might just need to make it a yearly deal! Just think if we get out 20 pots early morning and pull them at dusk……might need a bigger cooler!
 
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No worries and life is a bit crazy right now! Thanks for joining our crew for a day! Me and the boy had a great time! We might just need to make it a yearly deal! Just think if we get out 20 pots early morning and pull them at dusk……might need a bigger cooler!

Thanks again!

That would be beyond awesome my friend! Would be “on board” 100% with that idea! And yes… 20 pots likely be an amazing haul! See how the Trappy compares to the Crayster and Frabill! But your hand crafted ones I think would be the winner hands down! Your craftsmanship and design is amazing!
 
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We might just need to make it a yearly deal! Just think if we get out 20 pots early morning and pull them at dusk……might need a bigger cooler!
Wish I lived closer! I'm now back in Idaho, but up in the panhandle. A 10-12 hour drive from where I grew up in southern Idaho. This is a tall state!

I remember catching small crawdads in the creeks feeding into the Snake River when I was a kid, but I had no idea the lake lobsters got that big!
 
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Thanks again!

That would be beyond awesome my friend! Would be “on board” 100% with that idea! And yes… 20 pots likely be an amazing haul! See how the Trappy compares to the Crayster and Frabill! But your hand crafted ones I think would be the winner hands down! Your craftsmanship and design is amazing!
Thanks and until next crawler season then! I do have materials to make 5 more mini tubes so that will happen before next year……however, I might make up another hybrid to test as well
Wish I lived closer! I'm now back in Idaho, but up in the panhandle. A 10-12 hour drive from where I grew up in southern Idaho. This is a tall state!

I remember catching small crawdads in the creeks feeding into the Snake River when I was a kid, but I had no idea the lake lobsters got that big!
Yes Idaho is “tall”……. We have gotten a number of crawlers all along the snake river complex of lakes and river between. This fishery is pure amazement for them for sure!
 
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