How to Make a Seafood Boil

Freshly cooked seafood boil consisting of crab legs, shrimp, fish, corn and potatoes, among others.

Cooking is about making all of your ingredients come together nicely. How you’ll make that happen depends on the dish, of course, as well as your cooking skills. Thankfully, there are dishes you can prepare well even if you don’t have chef-like culinary aptitude…have you had a seafood boil lately?

What exactly is a seafood boil?

Seafood boil may refer to either of two things: a seafood dish or a social gathering wherein this dish is served. We’ll go with the first definition for the purpose of this article. And as you might expect, a seafood boil is a mouthwatering blend of various types of seafood (typically fresh shellfish, crab, shrimp, lobster and crawfish) boiled in a seasoned broth using a large stock pot.

If you prefer, you can use just one or two types of seafood instead of a big combo. The rest of the ingredients may include lemon, boiled eggs, melted butter, corn and potatoes, Old Bay® seasoning and other herbs and spices. Some recipes also include smoked sausage or chicken broth for added flavour.

Seafood boil is common in areas where fresh seafood is abundant—which is precisely why it has so many regional variations in terms of the ingredients and cooking process. It’s believed to have originated in Louisiana, USA, but is also vastly popular in some parts of Australia. Your family may even have its own recipe!

Easy seafood boil recipe to try

Here’s an easy but fantastic seafood boil recipe you can prepare for your next family dinner or gathering with friends. This recipe calls for little cooking experience and is in fact, one of the easiest seafood recipes out there. Cook time is less than an hour!

What’s in a seafood boil?

Main ingredients:

• Your seafood of choice – you can add any or all of the following: fresh shrimp, mussels, crawfish, lobster tails, crab legs.
• Smoky sausage – go for andouille sausage if you want it a bit spicy.
• Corn on the cob – you’ll love how the sweet taste of juicy corn blends with the other ingredients.
• Yukon gold potatoes and/or red potatoes – add both varieties for a more aesthetically pleasing output.
• Eggs – boiled eggs do a good job of soaking up the spices!

 

Looking for lobster tails? Try this Southern Rock lobster for your seafood boil.

Ingredients for the seasoned broth:

• Seafood boil seasoning – (Old Bay® seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and paprika)
• Lemon wedges
• Bay leaves
• Garlic and onions, chopped
• Green beans

Ingredients for the garlic butter sauce:

• Garlic and onions, minced
• Butter
• Cajun seasoning
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Sugar
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Reserved broth
• Hot sauce or red pepper flakes

As you may have noticed, we’re leaving some room for flexibility in this seafood boil recipe. You’re free to add or remove the sausage or any seafood as you wish. Rest assured that you’ll still have a great-tasting final product.

If you have to cook for a large group of people, a seafood boil is a great idea because it’s easier to customise according to your needs.

 

You can use frozen seafood for this recipe. Visit online markets like Manettas, which offer cold seafood platters 

 

Instructions:

1. Prepare the broth.

Fill the large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add garlic and onions, Old Bay® seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon wedges, bay leaves, paprika and salt. Stir nicely and allow another 5 minutes to boil.

2. Prepare the main ingredients.

For the seafood:

• Lobster – cut each lobster tail into two, so there’s more for everyone.
• Mussels – clean the mussels by rinsing and scrubbing the shells. Make sure to debeard them as well.
• Shrimp – better not to remove the shell on shrimp as they also add flavour. 
• Crawfish – you can use cod and other types of fish, but crawfish is best for traditional seafood boils.
• Crab legs – you may use dungeness crab legs, snow crab legs or the one pictured below.

Other ingredients:

• Slice each potato in half. Place them all in a bowl and rinse until the water is clear (it usually takes 2-3 rinses). 
• Boil the eggs. While waiting, you can prepare the sausage if you want it fried. Slice the sausages as you like, and then cook on a skillet until they’re brown on all sides.
• Break each fresh corn cob in two or three pieces, depending on their size or how many people you’re serving.

Some people love to add crab legs like it’s completely non-negotiable. Well, you can’t go wrong with these Alaskan king crab legs.

 

3. Add the potatoes, sweet corn and green beans into the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender. You know you have tender potatoes if you can easily slice through them using a knife without them breaking apart. Then, add the sausages and the seafood. Allow to cook for 15 minutes or until everything is cooked through.

 

 

4. As the seafood cooks, prepare your garlic butter sauce.

On a skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic in medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until you get that delicious aroma. Be careful not to burn your butter as this will throw off the entire recipe.

Add the cajun seasoning, onions, lemon juice, salt and sugar. You may add hot sauce or pepper flakes if you want it hot. Then, add a cup of reserved broth and cook for about 5 minutes (add more if you want your sauce thin). Remove from heat.

5. Place the seafood mixture and other main ingredients on a tray. Pour that flavorful broth over everything. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional lemon halves if you wish and then serve with the garlic butter sauce.

Storage tips:

It’s always best to serve your seafood boil immediately after cooking. But if you need to prep ahead (or if you have leftovers), be sure you know how to store them properly. Place the seafood boil in a clean, dry and airtight container before refrigerating. Reheat when ready to serve. Do the same for the garlic butter sauce. 

Serving suggestions: What to serve with your seafood boil

Our seafood boil recipe is a delicious and nutritious meal in itself, but you can also serve it alongside mashed potatoes or potato salad, smoked mac and cheese and/or fresh vegetables.

Additional tips and reminders:

• If you don’t have a large stock pot, you can boil your ingredients in batches.
• If you prefer prawns over shrimp, that’s fine. Just be sure you get extra-large ones, such as Giant king prawns.
• In place of parsley, you can use basil or thyme.
• Don’t throw away leftover garlic butter sauce. Its savoury flavour is great for stir-frying vegetables. Of course, it’s also perfect for bread!

For many of us, nothing screams summer gatherings more than a seafood boil. Learn how to make a seafood boil and treat your family and friends to a seafood feast at home!

 

Perhaps your family has its own seafood boil recipe?