Foraging 4 – Mudbugs!

[J]

I know this article will not appeal to everyone, as it will not fit into their respective diets, please understand it is simply for informational purposes.

Mudbugs – aka Crawdads or Crayfish, are a welcome addition to the table to those that know of them. While they are rather expensive in the supermarkets, they are rather easy to catch on your own, if you know where to look. They are an extremely popular food source in the southern USA, especially Louisiana and East Texas where I grew up. I personally love them.

They are also a popular food source for several different species of fish and the smaller ones can be used for bait.

Crawdads look like small lobsters and live in slow moving water, be it lakes or streams. The tails can be eaten when prepared and the insides as well, although I typically do not “suck the heads” as is popular with a lot of people. The easiest way to cook them is to either boil them or steam them, much the way lobster is prepared.

Catching them only requires a bit of string and a meat scrap. Small pieces of entrails or fresh bones will attract them as they are carnivores. I typically look for them on the stream bottom and then fish for them with the bait. Once a crawdad is focused on the bait, he will have a one track mind, simply pull the bait up slowly and drop him in a bucket of water.

An alternate method of catching them I have had success with is to use a box trap and a larger bait. leaving it in the water for several hours or overnight will attract a number of them. Lift the trap out of the water and you can have enough for a meal if you are lucky.

The main thing to remember with crawdads, as well as other crustacians is to keep them alive or ice them down immediately if you are not going to prepare them as soon as you catch them. When they die, they begin to build up toxins pretty quickly and can make you pretty sick.

[Clarity Jane]

J:

About the toxins in shell fish : I’ve had several scary experiences after eating crustaceans and now I know why! I’m sort of kosher now with sea food – if it doesn’t have scales I won’t touch it. They used to sell jellied eels in my local supermarket but as there isn’t a large Cockney community in the area they took them off the shelves again. Once, I picked up a tub and thought, “Should I? Just to say I have…” But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I did the same not long ago with a haggis : )

In the south west we have a traditional fish pie where you leave the fish heads poking through the crust looking upwards. It’s called ‘Star-Gazey Pie.’ You could try that with crawdads (wink).

[J]

might just do that, thanks for the idea. I’m always up for new recipes and ideas. I do love a lot of the food over there, when I visit friends for holiday am always about trying new foods or places. Is one of my favorite things to do in a strange new land 🙂

[Echo5Charlie]

I think clarity just made me throw up in my mouth a little. Yup, that’s it. Nice, real nice.

[J]

It sounds like a good recipe to try on my in-laws when they come for a visit again…..just for their reaction 🙂

[Clarity Jane]

It’s a sad truth that Britain is not known for its fine cuisine, but we like it! (Eating greasy fish and chips, smothered in salt and vinegar, whilst sat in a wind and rain lashed bus shelter is something you just have to be born to).

J, which British foods have you tried and liked…or not.

[J]

I have visited northern England on numerous occaisions…What i really enjoy are different dishes with lamb and duck, neither or which are readily available in the US. You can find it here, but it is more of a specialty item in most places.

Of course, good chippy is hard to beat as well 🙂

A lot of the cuisine I have had over there is similiar to foods here but are flavored a bit differently. It is always fun to me to try diffeent foods, you never know what you might find.

[Clarity Jane]

My Mum’s from the north : ) As a result I have a strange northern/south-western slant to my vocabulary and say things like “Ey up – ‘ow be you then?”

Did you have mushy peas?

When it comes to American food when camping or cooking out we all know what you have…lots of beans. I’ve seen ‘Blazing Saddles’ so I know!

[J]

yes we have mushy peas…we refer to them as “English peas”, go figure 🙂

[Author]

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