IMHO BBQ grill is the best way to cook a cray, put it in a little cold fresh water then take it out after a couple mins split in half then on with some chilli garlic butter and put shell side down and let it cook in its own juices untill the flesh starts to come up white, then flip to meat side down caramalise for a min or so and serve in the shell. Make sure not to over cook and it will be beaut. Rather than freeze cray what I normally do is partially boil and then I pickle it. Makes for a real good salad about a week later, just put enough in and then pour some of the pickle juice into some good virgin olive oil and its a hell of a salad dressing.

If I have to freeze my personal belief is that you either freeze them raw in the water you caught them from or vac seal them. Thats just me though and as I said I dont freeze many.

I have stored them in the freezer both cooked and raw. I tend to go for raw but have not had a problem with either.

I freeze them green, they dont tend to dry out and get freezer burnt that way

I store mine in the freezer green in a plastic bag as the clipped tail leaves a jelly type blood. I cut the antenae off as they are too long and scratch the shit out of your hands when put you're hand in the freezer. If I cook a cray, it is generally eaten. Tiimmbo, I don't want to sound like a nag, but if you are storing crays, they have to be kept whole. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/FishingRockLobsters/FishingforRockLobster2011-2012.pdf page 9. Not worth a fine if you get caught, a long shot at that I know.

We store our crays in ilite empty milk cartons, remove the antennae, and most crays will fit into the carton folded tail first, easy to store and write date on the carton. Just have to drink a lot of milk. Cartons can also be reused time and time again. Works for cooked or raw crays.

Cheers

Old Banga!

Another thing we do is when the cray is cooked and after you take them out of chilled water, cut the antennae off about half inch fom the base and hang the cray upside down for about 10 mins to let all excess fluid drain out then store in 1 lite milk cartons, this cuts a lot of the jelly type fluid forming in the carton etc.

Cheers

Old Banga!

Cheers all

Wadray thats very similar to how I cook my chilli crabs and what I had in mind to avoid having to stuff around with large pots (particularly whilst away).  Have a decent bbq in Smoky bay were we are staying but streaky bay caravan park has those stuffed electric jobs, might have to take my old three leg hot plate one.  Mind you will probably be setting the pot more at smoky as not wanting to put it in at Easter in case some nut decides to pull it himself.

Have a dinner party with freinds we we get back and was wanting to bring a few back to have cray on the menu - will go well with the baked snapper.  Was wondering how to bag them up without ripping the bags apart and have a heap of milk cartons ready for making block ice, looks like I'll be drinking more milk in the next 3 weeks - Might take a few larger fruit juice ones as well in case I get a few ones that wont fit - thanks for the tips

Paul