Seafood Boil (The Best Recipe!)
User Reviews
4.6
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
4 People
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Calories
580 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Seafood Boil (The Best Recipe!)
Description
The recipe begins by preparing a seasoning mix featuring Old Bay, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and sugar. Seafood including shrimp, crawfish, clams, and chunks of corn are briefly boiled with lemon halves to cook through while retaining a firm texture. After draining, the seafood is coated in a butter-based sauce where garlic is sautéed and combined with the homemade seasoning and hot sauce for a garlicky, spicy finish.
The dish has a combination of textures from the tender clams to the slightly firm shrimp and crawfish, highlighted by the smoky and spicy flavor profile of the Cajun-style seasoning. The butter sauce adds richness and depth to the freshly cooked seafood.
This version is ideal for casual gatherings or festive meals where the boil can be served family-style, often in large serving bags or pans. Presentation in plastic bags is mentioned as a fun serving idea. The notes advise using good quality seafood for best taste and cooking seafood in batches if a large pot is not available to ensure even cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 lb (500g) Shrimp head-on and shell-on, mustache and legs trimmed off
- 1 lb (500g) crawfish scrubbed and rinsed with water
- 1 lb (500g) manila clams scrubbed and rinsed with water
- water for boiling
- 2 ears corn cut off the cob into 2-inches (5cm) pieces
- 2 ticks butter melted, unsalted
- 2 heads garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce Louisiana
Seafood Boil Seasonings
- 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon black pepper ground
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients of the seafood boil seasonings in a bowl. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
- Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the lemon halves, followed by the shrimp, crawfish, Manila clams, and corn. Cover the stockpot and cook the seafood and corn until they turn red or cooked through for about 2 minutes. Drain the seafood and corn, and discard the water and lemon. Set aside.
- While the seafood is cooking, in a big skillet over medium heat, add the butter and stir in the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute (not brown). Add the homemade seasoning and Louisiana hot sauce and stir well. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the seafood and corn to the spicy sauce, and stir to combine well. If you have a small skillet, mix the butter sauce and the seafood in two batches. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use high-quality fresh seafood to ensure the best flavor; good ingredients cannot be compensated by seasoning alone.
- If lacking a large pot, boil seafood in batches so everything cooks evenly.
- Sequence cooking times to accommodate different seafood; clams take longer, so start boiling them first before adding shrimp and crawfish.
- Serving the seafood mix inside large plastic bags can make for an easy and engaging presentation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4People
Amount Per Serving
Calories 580 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 580kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 49g | 75% |
| Saturated Fat | 29g | 145% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 18g | 106% |
| Cholesterol | 329mg | 110% |
| Sodium | 999mg | 42% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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