Minced Crawfish

Disclaimer: We use the words "Crawfish" and "Lobster" interchangeably here in the Bahamas.  The technical term for our lobster is called Spiny Lobster.  It does not have claws like Maine Lobster. So they are only harvested for their tails.

I haven't bought crawfish in years.  Generally I find that it's too expensive.  But I was in the mood for crawfish a few weeks back and got a few from my sister.  They weren't as big as these:

But they were $20.00 and enough to make a great dish of Minced Crawfish.

To prepare the crawfish, first,boil the tails in salted water until bright red/orange.

These are clearly under sized crawfish, which is against the law, I know. I was shocked to see these poor babies.  But I wasn't about to throw my $20.00 away on principle.

Next, let the crawfish cool and remove the flesh from the shells.  To do this, flatten the crawfish with the underbelly facing up.  Take a large sharp knife pierce the bottom of the tail and press down the middle. You can then open the tail and remove the flesh. Be sure to move the intestine tube in the middle.

This is what you end up with. Now you need to shred the meat. This is the most tedious part of preparation.

Now you can prepare your minced Crawfish.

MINCED CRAWFISH by Sapphire Ridge Chronicles:

Ingredients:

2-3 cups shredded lobster meat

Juice of 1 lime

1 medium onion diced

1 medium green pepper diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

8 oz. petite diced tomatoes

1 tbsp. ketchup or tomato paste

vegetable oil

Salt, pepper, and hot pepper to taste

Once your lobster is shredded, add the juice of 1 lime. 

Heat oil in frying pan and saute the onion, green pepper, garlic and thyme until onion is translucent.  Add the crawfish and saute for about 5 minutes. You want to almost dry it out. Then add your tomatoes and ketchup/tomato paste. Add your seasonings to taste.

Serving suggestion: white rice, cole slaw and fried plantains