Cooking Yabbies & Lobsters

Who would have believed that the common old freshwater yabbie would become an expensive gourmet delicacy, exported around the world?

Catching yabbies with a piece of meat on a bit of string was once a favourite pastime of most Australian children and whilst they were often cooked and eaten for a bit of fun, they never featured as part of a normal household's meals. Sure, they were good to eat..�.. but a delicacy ?

It wasn't all that long ago that mud crabs, which were then quite common - and in fact considered a nuisance by fisherman - were rarely eaten in average households and never by the monied gentry. But then cafes became restaurants and since they couldn't charge an arm and a leg for a mixed grill and two eggs, they had to offer something that was different, plentiful, easily obtainable, ignored by the masses (because it was plentiful and easily obtainable) and which could be marketed to us as a rare delicacy.

Well the muddie fitted the bill perfectly and now they've turned onto the yabbie.

Yabbies have been enjoyed by indigenous Australians for many centuries. Only now is the world waking up to their secret delights. These unique freshwater crustaceans are delicious and versatile ... ideal for the creative chef who is looking for that special 'something' to complete the menu. Their delicate, sweet flavour and firm texture has won lavish praise from connoisseurs the world over.

Yabbies are like mini-lobster, turning orange on cooking. Most of the flesh is in the tail. The claws provide an added bonus, with their own unique, delicious flavour.

What more can I say but 'Bon Apetite' !