Every year from May to June, when the crayfish is the most fat and the price is close to the people, this year is even more so, 8 yuan of large meat shrimp only 8 yuan a catty, compared with last year, each catty is discounted by 1-2 yuan, so many families in this season have to buy a few catties of fresh crayfish to satisfy their hunger.
However, in the process of cooking at home, many friends often encounter this problem: "Why are the shrimp balls fried at home not tender and smooth, and the cooked braised prawns are always not flavorful enough?" Especially in the market, we often see "green" and "red" crayfish, but many people are not aware of the difference between the two, and the result of casual purchase often leads to unsatisfactory taste of dishes.
【Crayfish】
The green crayfish is loved by locals, and its thin shell and thick flesh are particularly delicate and tender, making it the best choice for making spicy shrimp balls. In addition, compared with the weight, the price of green crayfish is often 2-3 yuan a pound cheaper than red crayfish, so if you want to fry shrimp balls that are easy to peel, cyan crayfish is undoubtedly the best choice. Because the shell of the shrimp is relatively easy to peel off after cooking, the shell of the red crayfish is relatively hard and more laborious to peel.
【Red crayfish selection points】
When buying green crayfish, you should first pay attention to the shrimp tail, as shown in the picture above, the tail of high-quality green shrimp should be clean and washed, and you can directly stir-fry it in the pot without additional brushing. After checking the shrimp tails, remember to gently pinch the shrimp body to feel whether the shrimp meat is full. If the shrimp tail is full and elastic, then you can buy it with confidence, because it means that the meat quality of this shrimp is rich, on the contrary, if it feels hollow and inelastic when pinched, it means that the shrimp has a low meat yield and is not recommended to buy.
【Red Crayfish】
Red crayfish are known for their hard shells and tight flesh, and usually only when they grow to about 1 tael in size, the flesh of their tails will become plump. That's why most of the memorable braised prawns we eat in restaurants or food stalls are made with red crayfish. When cooking braised prawns, an indispensable part is to add beer and simmer for 10-15 minutes, so as to fully soften the hard shell of the red crayfish, so that the tight meat inside can better absorb the sauce and achieve a mellow flavor.
【Red crayfish selection points】
When buying red crayfish, give preference to larger individuals, because the larger the crayfish, the richer the meat and shrimp yellow content. At the same time, it is also very important to observe the tail color of crayfish, if the tail is found to be black, then most of these crayfish live in an environment with poor water quality, and eating too much may have an impact on health, so it is not recommended to buy.
To sum up, when buying crayfish in the future, if you plan to make spicy shrimp balls, you may wish to choose green crayfish, and if you want to concoct a delicious stewed prawn, you can choose red crayfish. Whatever you choose, it's important to make sure that the crayfish you buy has a clean tail, as the meat is not only delicious, but also brings out the best flavor in the dish.