CrayDad's Tandoori Crayfish

As a child I remember visiting a new Indian restaurant in town. I watched from behind the glass as the cook would place skewers red marinated meats and flat bread in what i thought was a million degree oven.

This marinade can be applied 30 minutes before grilling.

Ingredients:

• Red chili flakes / powder
• Cayenne pepper
• 2 TBPS Ginger Paste
• 2 TBSP Garlic Paste
• Coriander
• Greek Yogurt
• Cashews, dry roasted, medium chopped
• Lemon, juiced
• Cilantro, finely chopped
• Beet Root, chopped
• 1 TBSP Turmeric
• Kosher Salt
• 1 TBSP Garam masala

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Cooking Tips:

Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking.

Blanch crawfish for 30 seconds in salted boiling water. Transfer immediately to an ice water bath. Once shocked cut crayfish in half and clean internally. Marinade crayfish (shell side up) for 30 minutes.

Place marinaded crayfish into a grill basket and cook for about 5-6 minutes shaking often. Once the shells turn bright red and the meat is no longer translucent.

CrayDad's Liquid Boil

In this method we use a French technique known as sous vide to extract the flavors of our dry ingredients into our liquid boil. Some flavors are better extracted through oil infusion. Sous vide also gives us precision over cook time and temperature.

Ingredients:

• CrayDad's Dry Boil
• 2 cups - neutral cooking oil (extra light, extra virgin olive)

Directions:

Carefully mix the dry boil and 2 cups of neutral cooking oil. Pour mixture into silicone ice cube molds and freeze until solidified. Then seal one end of a vacuum-sealable bag and carefully place all of the cubes into the bag. Avoid touching the cubes to the sides of the bag then vacuum-seal. Place into pre-heated water bath set at 140 F for 3 hours. The color of your oil will start to pickup the colors of the seasonings. After finished, strain the infused oil through cheesecloth, and pour into a sealable glass bottle. Keep in a cool, dark location.

CrayDad's Preserved Lemon Butter

When life gives you lemons...

Last year my parents were very kind to share with our family a large box of lemons. The only problem with lemons is they usually don't last that long. Some genius from Italy, northern Africa or India (who will remain uncredited) figured out a way to preserve these yellow wonders all throughout the year.

Preserved lemons are a powerhouse of lemon flavor. When made into a compound butter it will take your crawfish to an entirely new level.

Ingredients:

• 1 Preserved Lemon
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter
• Kosher Salt (optional)

Directions:

Allow the stick of butter to come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. Separate the fruit from the peel. Finely dice the peel until it resembles extremely tiny cubes. Combine ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Taste and only add additional salt if needed. Place in the center of some plastic wrap and role carefully into a log shape. Refrigerate until hardened.

CrayDad's Chili Honey Butter

Heat meets sweet...

Our family's first crayfish boil was probably the most memorable partly because one of our condiments immediately disappeared. Who knew that when you take butter and combine chili with honey something magic happens. Smother it over corn, potatoes or crawdads and it will leave you longing for more.

Ingredients:

• Chili Pepper Flakes or Chili Powder
• Honey
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter
• Kosher Salt

Directions:

Allow the stick of butter to come to room temperature before continuing with this recipe. Slightly warm the honey until spreadable but not liquid. Add small amounts of chili, honey and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly to combine then taste. Once it is to your liking then place it in the center of some plastic wrap and carefully role into a log shape. Refrigerate until hardened.

CrayDad's Black Garlic Butter

You don't know the power of the darkside...

It is said that garlic can ward off vampires but did you know it also works on children? That is until our family discovered it's mild-mannered umami-packed cousin, black garlic.

Some say that black garlic originated in Korea and others say that it's fermented. Whatever the truth is one thing is for sure - it will make your tastebuds jump into light speed when paired with steaming hot crayfish.

In most grocery stores a few dollars can buy you a large amount of garlic heads. Black garlic on the other hand can run you about $10-$15 for a couple heads. We make black garlic at home and will post that recipe in the near future.

Ingredients:

• 1 head Black Garlic
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter
• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions:

Allow the stick of butter to come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. Separate and peel the entire head of black garlic. Then either chop or smash the cloves and add it to the completely softened butter. Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Place in the center of some plastic wrap and role carefully into a log shape. Chill in your refrigerator until hardened.

CrayDad's Dry Boil

For years our family tried various dry boils - both commercial and homemade. After much trial and error 3 out of 4 family participants agreed that this combination was a winner. I am still waiting for feedback from the 4th. You know who you are.

Two ingredients that make this dry boil unique are the addition of Smoked Spanish Paprika and Korean Red Chili Pepper flakes. Both of these impart amazing flavor and color to the boil. You can find these in specialty food stores or online.

Salt has also been omitted from the list and should be added to taste at the time the dry boil is used.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons Smoked Spanish Paprika (not hot)
8 tablespoons Mustard Seed
6 tablespoons Coriander Seed
4 tablespoons Allspice Berries (whole)
4 tablespoons Dill Seed
2 teaspoons Cloves (whole)
2 tablespoons Korean Red Chili Pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
16 Bay Leaves

Combine all ingredients and keep in a sealed mason jar. Store in a cool, dark location until ready to use.

Makes approximately 2 cups of dry boil.

Optional Tips:

• Another way to maximize the flavor of your dry boil is to roast the ingredients. Place them into a heavy bottom pan (such as cast iron) and lightly roast until fragrant. Be sure to keep an eye on the dry boil so it does not burn. Once it has become fragrant to your liking remove the ingredients from the pan and allow to cool completely. You can also powder all of the ingredients using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder.