now, tasty and vicious:


http://www.aeflash.com/pics/crawdad.jpg

A Crawdad




VS.




A Mantis Shrimp

http://www.cabrilloaq.org/images/mantis.jpg

The crawdad...I've heard good things, and it looks somewhat like something we get here called a Marron, also very nice.
( http://bookshop.frdc.com.au/miva/mer...ore_Code=photo )
Besides...shrimps aint got shit on prawns, baby.

Mantis Shrimp

Looks like exactly the same thing. basically a crayfish, a freshwater cousin of the lobster. Verypopular in the south here, especially Louisiana.

you probably knew this, but im feeling like an ass. Prawns and shrimp are the same thing. the words can be use dinterchangeably, but prawn is usually used in reference to certain sizes and species.

I should get a nitpicking award. And Cheeba will probably pin it to my ass with a nail gun :D

That crawdad looks pretty powerful. But the mantis shrimp looks like it's getting ready to kick some ass...I go with the

MANTIS SHRIMP

Mantis shrimp supposedly have the most advanced eyes in the animal kingdom. Weird, huh?

Can't REALLY argue with that. Yeah, it's mainly about sizing and breeding. But yeah, what you'd call a "prawn" here is easily much much bigger than the shrimp. (I think scampi technically comes from the same family too) Yup, we get pretty good 'uns here.
Yeah, I've heard all about the crawfish thing in the south, I was thinking about making the gumbo recipe that came with my dvd copy of "skelaton key"...could anyone tell me how that one rates?

Havent read it som i can comment on it, but one point ot remember with gumbo (i screwed this up huge in the past)


Make the rice sperately from the gumbo and pour the gumbo over it. if you do them in the same pot, you end up with a nasty pasty mess.

ha, I can imagine...
Back to the shellfish thing...it's funny (probably just me) but I've had marron, scampi, lobster, blue swimmer crab, mud crab spanner crab, and a few other shellfish here and there...yet to me, nothing comes close to prawns.
Preferably tiger or king variety (I dunno what you'd call the same thing over there)...but yeah, as stupidly expensive as shellfish can get, I just fine myself thinking it's overrated.
Prawns are great.
However, in terms of fish...the opposite. I like most fish, but I have to say that when you get into the tuna/salmon/swordfish proce range, it gets better.
As for uni/bi/valve moluscs, they're all much the same to me - Although abalone is quite brilliant and IMO just about worth the price, if you can bring yourself to buy it.

hmmmm... Ive always wanted to try abalone (as gastropod ;))

Ive had escargot and was pleasantly surprised.

im a big fan of salmon and tuna. I had swordfish prepared at a lace called Legal Seafood once, andi twas great. i tried to make it, and decided it was a dish better prepaired for me, not by me. (i know the new englanders here know legal seafood)


im a big shellfish fan, i havent met one i didnt like yet