fishmonger

It is not often that something new comes along. Alright, so maybe soft shell crayfish are not new, but it has been at least 5 years since I last saw them. In the early 90's more than a dozen operations were set up to produce these crayfish. Unfortunately the economics of it did not pan out for most. There is a lot of waiting and intensive labor involved to bring soft shell crays to market. The range of sales for them has been limited to a few hundred miles of origin because of low yields and limited marketing. I recently purchased a good amount from the producer being only second in volume to Buckhead Beef in Atlanta I was told. I took home a couple dozen in the spirit of quality control, cooked them simply and was very happy with the resulting dish. Soft Shelled Crayfish with Sun dried Tomato and Anchovy Mayonnaise 2 dozen soft shelled crayfish 1 cup flour paprika, old bay, salt & pepper as desired neutral oil for frying for the dipping sauce 1/4 cup mayo 2 pieces sun dried to...

No it is not a typo in that headline. Crayfish molt like any other crustacean, and some good folks in Louisiana have perfected a system to harvest and package them at just the right moment. Production is very limited, and most of these little lovelies never get to travel very far before the local restaurants snatch them up. I was able to purchase a good supply for the New York market, and a few of my customers have decided to menu them this spring. I took a couple dozen home to try them for myself and I have to say they make eating crayfish pure pleasure. I just dusted them with flour that had been seasoned with a bit of Old Bay and fried them in vegetable oil. When cooked they turn from dark brown to cherry red in the flash of an eye. I served mine with an impromptu remoulade of mayo, capers, cornichon, and coarse grain mustard. The possibilities are endless with these bayou beauties. They would be great with tempura or panko, and in a po boy to die for. The greatest thing to me thoug...