Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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Fee
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Take a piece of string, a bit of bacon rind and a rock...And you've got a relaxing afternoon catching a pest from our waters 
Spent a few hours with some bacon rind tied to the end of a bit of string, with friends in the sunshine, and came back with 39 signal crayfish out of the Basingstoke Canal in Farnborough that'll make a nice dinner (or starter, we'll see).
Turns out we should have had a permit, but we spoke to a nice chap at the Environment Agency, and he was more than happy that we were catching them, but said for next time, probably best to sort out a permit.
Anyway, very pleased with ourselves, getting rid of a pest and catching some tasty free food while we're at it  Here's some piccies:
(yes, Paul has a feeler in his mouth)
They're now in several plastic boxes full of clean water in the garden, cats were a bit interested, we've covered them now
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Jonnyboy
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Nice nips
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Fee
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Our friend, Porl, an absolute loon
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dougal
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39 !!
Thats an excellent haul...
Pray tell, how did you pick your spot? Convenience for a good pub, shaded or sheltered water, shallowness/depth or what? ??
Train us!
And nice that you found a nice man from the EA...
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pricey
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Nice catch, remember don't over boil them.
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Fee
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We found that the edge of shade/sunlight on the water was the best spot, but under the bridge was pretty good too, in full shade
The water wasn't very deep where we were catching them, between 1 and 2 metres I suppose, and we were catching most of them from about 1 to 1.5 metres out.
We were just lobbing the string (garden twine actually) with bacon rind on the end, with a stone tied a little way away from it so it sank, into the water.
Regards the location, near or even under a bridge, or shade, where the water is more still, seemed to be a good location. We started off over the other side, away from the bridge where the canal is quite wide, and caught nothing (in sun or shade).
And regards the EA chap, he came over to ask to see our permits, but I'm over-bearingly friendly sometimes, and I think it took him back a bit, and I was asking him lots of questions about the signal crayfish population in the canal, said I thought they were a big pest and that we were doing them a favour.
He agreed that they are and we were, and I think I made him feel like such an arse for telling us we needed permits that he said he would turn a blind eye for today, but to sort something out for next time, and that he hadn't see us, ok?
Will look into how we go about getting a permit and how much they are, he said we'd find the info on their website.
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Fee
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| pricey wrote: | | Nice catch, remember don't over boil them. |
I've never cooked them before, what do you recommend? How long, or just when they go nice and red?
Do you recommend salted water? Somebody passing us today told us to soak them in salted water overnight, and somebody else has advised us to cook them in salted water.
We were wondering about BBQing them too. We're leaving them in the water they're now in overnight anyway, so recipes and suggestions for cooking are more than welcome!
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Nanny
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down in louisiana they boil them alive in salted water
till they are a sort of a flamingo pink colour....then they just tip the lot on to a covered picnic table and everybody digs in
god knows how many we caught but they filled a couple of onion bags
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pricey
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They are freshwater so no salt. 5 Min's max in boiling water, if you are going to do them on the BBQ Then 1 Min in the water 8-10 on the barbie.
I do them lots, and make some dipping sauces up for them to  Enjoy 
You don't have to keep them in water, just covered with a damp cloth in a bucket. 48 hours Max though and don't cook any dead one's.
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happytechie
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Right, we're going to BBQ them later.
Dips, check. I'm thinking a chilli butter might go down well too.
Tis Fee here, btw
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Simon
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Mmmmm. I may be able to get hold of some. A friend of ours has a waterfall in his front garden. He has caught crayfish in the small pool at the bottom. Pricey???
Nice pics by the way Fee
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Fee
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Few people coming round at 3, I've made a chilli, fennel, lemon balm and lime butter and I'm about to make a bacon mayo type dip too.
We should have 8 each (well, I'll have 7), nice little starter methinks.
Will be doing as pricey says, boil for one minute then BBQ for 8 - 10.
Can't wait now! Hope I like them.
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Jonnyboy
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Just simply boil a few as a comparison.
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dougal
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| pricey wrote: | | They are freshwater so no salt. ... |
I'm presuming that refers to the holding (rather than the cooking) water.
I'm not sure how long they are supposed to be held - so as to purge their guts of whatever they've been finding to eat, (they aren't exactly fussy).
Should one remove the dark gut, if eating promptly?
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Jonnyboy
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| dougal wrote: |
Should one remove the dark gut, if eating promptly? |
I would suggest so.
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pricey
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Sorry been at work, hope they were nice
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Fee
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They were absolutely delicious
You don't get much meat off each though, do you! We had a few dead 'uns too, which we didn't eat, but only a few.
I preferred the claw meat to the tail (which were the only parts we were eating), but both were yummy, we'll definitely be catching some more in the future
Question now is, can I make a stock from the remains?
Oh, and we didn't eat the dark bits I took a picture of them on the BBQ, will post tomorrow.
Didn't think to boil a few for comparison, just boiled them for between 1 and 2 mins then flung them on the BBQ.
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pricey
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| Simon wrote: | Mmmmm. I may be able to get hold of some. A friend of ours has a waterfall in his front garden. He has caught crayfish in the small pool at the bottom. Pricey???
Nice pics by the way Fee |
Mate I am up for that, can we go on the first Sunday
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pricey
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| Fee wrote: | They were absolutely delicious
You don't get much meat off each though, do you! We had a few dead 'uns too, which we didn't eat, but only a few.
I preferred the claw meat to the tail (which were the only parts we were eating), but both were yummy, we'll definitely be catching some more in the future
Question now is, can I make a stock from the remains?
Oh, and we didn't eat the dark bits I took a picture of them on the BBQ, will post tomorrow.
Didn't think to boil a few for comparison, just boiled them for between 1 and 2 mins then flung them on the BBQ. |
Dark bits? come on where is the pics
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Fee
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I just meant, we only ate the tail and claw meat.
Anyway, some piccies...
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Simon
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Now I am hungry again.
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Fee
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Mmmmm...tasty they be.
Anywhere in the New Forest we can harvest any for the DS picnic, Pricey?
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skedone
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yes mate u can use the shells etc for stocks or a really nice oil like oaster oil just oven bake the shells break them up , put them in extra virgin olive oil with a bit of garlic and chill leave for about 4 weeks shaking every day or two check for colour then u know flovour has been taken on by the oil the longer u leave it the better then strain it and away u go . very nice indead.
garlic and chill can be changed for your liking or just use the shells on there own
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Fee
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Oooooooooooooooh, will remember that next time!
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