10 what is that yellow stuff in crawfish Ideas

They often say that it is the smaller things in life that make it worth living, these must be the people who have eaten crawfish at least once in their lives. Many of the greatest southern backyard parties have been celebrated while some version of this dish is cooked up. Leaving many people who cannot access these tasty buggers wondering just what they taste like.

Crawfish is a meaty, stronger tasting shellfish that is heavily affected by the sauces and spices used to cook them. Sometimes described as being a combination flavor of both shrimp and crab, this small crustacean leaves you wanting for more while having you simultaneously sucking out the heads and licking your fingers clean.

For those that have only heard about crawfish, it can be confusing to eat them for the first time. With their tails, heads, and claws can be confused as to what to grab first. Add onto all of this the many ways of cooking, boiling, buttering, and everything in between the entire crawfish meal can become a headache to make!

What part of a crawfish do you eat?

It seems so easy when you look at someone else eating a crawfish, just grabbing, pinching, and sucking, however, when you are finally faced with the dish it can become a challenge. There are many parts to a crawfish and sometimes you may be unsure of which parts to try and eat and which to leave.

You will only eat the tail, the fat from the head, and the claw meat, discarding the shells and the head once you sucked or removed the head of the crawfish. This is how you are going to eat each one, usually served in large groups of a few hundred at parties, which means you’ll be a crawfish master after only a short while.

Each part is eaten on its own, with the head and tail twisted apart, allowing you to enjoy each part on their own without the struggle of shell or other things being in the way.

Now that you know which parts to eat you may start wondering what exactly you are eating when you suck out the innards of the head of the crawfish. Chief of which should hopefully be how on earth the cook managed to get so many amazing flavors all in one place. The second thing many people start wondering as they are enjoying their crawfish is what’s the delicious yellow stuff in them.

This is an organ called the hepatopancreas, that functions as a liver for the crawfish, which can safely be pointed to as the fattiest part of the crawfish. It should be noted that this is perfectly safe to eat and will give a sharp boost in flavor when you suck it out of the head of the crawfish.  

Many people believe that this is what makes crawfish unhealthy, however, the material is just 30 percent fat, which amounts to less than 500 milligrams per 100 grams of material that you eat. Further, the fat is the healthy type of fat that helps to control cholesterol.

Can you eat the yellow stuff in crawfish?

Now, once you have the idea of what the yellow stuff in a crawfish is you might find yourself wondering if you can eat it. The belief that you cannot eat certain parts of animals should not be ignored and knowing what you can and cannot eat will save you a lot of regret down the line.

Yes, you can eat the yellow part of a crawfish, you can also use it for other crawfish recipes. The yellow part of the crawfish goes brilliantly in crawfish etouffee and is often referred to as fat. The yellow part of the crawfish is considered a delicacy and depending on where you are in the world you may have to fight hand over fist to get enough to satisfy you.

Just be sure the yellow part of the crawfish looks similar to butter and not almost brownish, a crawfish that has died before cooking will have a darker browner look to the meat than the other crawfish. Eating one of these will cause you to have the most intense stomach aches imaginable.

How do you boil crawfish?

Now that you know what you can eat and what you cannot eat you will be faced with the constant pressure of how to cook the crawfish. There are parts of the world that suggest simply grilling them, but if you want the richest flavors and most intense joy you will have to boil your crawfish.

We have already made a full guide to boiling your crawfish that you need read right now! The art of boiling a crawfish properly is something that can only be learned through practice, which is why you need to ensure you know everything that we have suggested.

Many of the best Louisiana backyard cooks learned everything they know by watching what their grandparents did. Learning what to do, how to do it, and when to do it by watching practiced hands do it, with some of the most amazing recipes being closely guarded family secrets.

Do you eat crawfish claws?

You have the head sucked and pinched clean, with the tail end twisted and partially pealed, now you’re holding a piece of the carcass that still seems to be a bit heftier than a simple shell. This is where most people start looking at the claws and wondering if there is any meat in there that they can eat.

You can eat the claws, simply twist them off the shell and suck out the smaller pieces of meat that are in there. This will be a slightly smaller, richer flavor than some of the other meat that you will find in the crawfish. Claws enjoy this intense taste thanks to the sealed nature and concentrated juices that will be in them.

Do you eat crawfish with butter?

Once you have everything boiled you may be wondering what can be done to make the crawfish taste even better, or even wonder if this is a possibility. Many high-end restaurants will naturally anticipate this wonder and provide butter already in a small side dish.

Adding butter to the crawfish you are eating will naturally enhance the flavor but also the richness of any juices already present. Many boiling recipes call for a stick of butter to be added to the sauce that crawfish are boiled in, while others make a butter sauce that is drizzled over the already cooked crawfish.

There is no wrong way to add butter to your crawfish dish, as the addition of the rich and creamy substance will greatly enhance the overall flavor of your meal. Just, don’t add any spices to already cooked crawfish, the spices will just sit on top of the crawfish.

Is eating crawfish bad for you?

Once you sit down with your 4 pounds of boiled crawfish you will be faced with internal guilt, is eating so much of one single type of food bad for you. Or will stuffing yourself with crawfish for days be something your body will later thank you for.

The answer is simple, no crawfish is not bad for you and can have many health benefits. However, as with all good things in life too much can be extremely bad for you and will cause you to become rather sick. Having a good balance will allow you to easily enjoy your crawfish and eat it too.

Just be sure you only enjoy a large crawfish cookout once every few weeks instead of every second day. Being healthy is all about controlling what you eat and how much of it you eat when you eventually give in to your inner lust.

Can you eat the head of a crawfish?

When you have torn your crawfish in half, and you are looking at each part you may find yourself wondering if you can eat the head. Especially if you have heard the horror stories of eating other animal heads.

Yes, you can eat the head of a crawfish, however, you cannot eat the shell of the head, you will have to suck out the contents of the head. The inside of the head is where a lot of the spices and seasoning are in boiled crawfish, which is why eating the head gives a short burst of intense flavor whenever you do eat them.

Just be sure you aren’t sucking so hard to try and get everything out of the head that you end up sucking in a piece of the shell. There is nothing as fun spoiling when you suddenly end up choking on a sharp piece of shell that feels impossibly large.

Conclusion

The taste sensation of crawfish can be impossible to define and knowing how each addition of flavor will affect your overall love of the dish is important. Many crawfish makers prefer to have their blend of spices and sauces added when boiling, creating unique flavors that few can replicate.

Just be sure to give your compliments to the chef as you start attacking a dish that can take quite a bit of know–how to perfect!