Sea food boil

[AllenW]

OK, after all these years of threatening to try this, we're going to do a sea food boil.

Planning on using shrimp, mussels, some sort of crayfish, maybe a few small lobsters and scallops.
Add the required corn on the cob, potatoes and sausage.

Trying to keep the cost down, but still want to do it somewhat right.

Looking for suggestions on adding or subtracting anything and a good spice mix to add a bit of Cajun flare to it, but trying not to get to hot.
Wife thinks ketchup is a hot sauce....

Any suggestions?

TIA

Al

[feesh007]

Potatoes first for 15 min or so along with 2 lemon halves and 2 onions and a bunch of Old Bay seasoning, then corn till it's about ready, then sausage for 2 min, then shrimp for a 2 minutes. I brine all my shrimp in beer and Old Bay for a couple hours. Adding a bunch of stuff other than shrimp complicates things, you'll need to figure out which need to go in first (crayfish probably need more time, the mussels will cook in a minute or two). Shrimp will cook in less than 2 minutes; longer than that and they get rubbery. Get deveined unpeeled shrimp and some andouille sausage.



If you're concerned Old Bay might bring too much heat (it won't), use a less in the water and you can always sprinkle extra on your plate.

[AllenW]

Thanks much.

al

[Sportdog]

My wife, who is an excellent cook, makes it very similar to the recipe given. We live in the heart of shrimp harvest and buy it right off the boat. Yummy!!!

[AllenW]

Spent two years in the Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville and Harlingen TX, never knew what Jumbo Shrimp was till then.

Cost a fortune to eat sea food here in MN.

al

[Ltrain]

feesh007 has it right on. If you want to try something different than Old bay, Zatarains might give it a more Cajun taste. Either one is dynamite.

[bbheli]

Consider a fish boil and you can add some shrimp in the last 2-3 minutes, when the curl they are done.

Fill a 24 quart kettle 3/4 full of water. Place over open fire or on burner and bring to boil.

Add potatoes and 1 pound of salt. No it won't be to much salt, trust this. You can also add Old Bay or zatarains to your liking, I don't unless doing seafood boil as I like the natural flavors.

When boil resumes, time for 8 minutes. Then add onions wait until boil resumes then time for 2 minutes.

Add whitefish 10 - 12 chunks 10-12 oz. each and another LB of salt.

After 10 - 14 additional minutes of boiling take out of water and and put at least a full stick butter on it while hot. You can sprinkle some butter on the potatoes when you serve.

[bfish]

Fill a 7 gallon pot 1/2 way with water Add 2 bags of Zatarain's (or 1/2 cup of Old Bay) plus one bottle of liquid crab boil (Zatarains) and 1.5 beers (half goes to the cook) and 3 tablespoons of salt.

5lbs of red potatoes and 3 or 4 lemons (halved) go into the boiling water return to boil and start timer for 7 mins

Add 1 large or 2 small heads of cabbage that have been cut in 1/8 wedge and 3 or 4 onions quartered, bring back to boil and start timer for 5 mins.


Add 3-5 lbs of sliced andouille and return to boil, once boiling start timer for 3 mins.

Add 5 lbs large to jumbo shell on shrimp (head off is probably preferred by most) , turn off heat and stir for 3 mins for large and 5 for jumbo.

Add frozen mini corn on the cob and continue to stir, after 5 mins it will be hot enough to eat. 3-4 cobs per person.

Dip into a colander then dump on picnic table lined with paper. Have Old Bay to dip shrimp for those that want more heat.

The cabbage will absorb lots of spice, however the potatoes, corn, and shrimp will be seasoned perfectly.


Fish, mussels, oysters don't work well save those for a NE clambake (aka steamer pot)

[johnboat]

Mud Bugs are a must. If you don't use them, it's not a seafood boil to me.

I prefer 16-20 size shrimp. Deveined with the tails on.

Definitely clams.

Yukon Gold taters, halved if you can't find the small ones.

I also throw in a couple bags of mini carrots.

I like Old Bay better than Zats.

Don't forget an onion or 2 cut into 6 pieces.

6 smashed garlic cloves.

Got a bag of crappies? Wrap them in cheesecloth and hang them in the pot for a few minutes.

Save the broth and use it for boiling up rice the next day, or for soup. I never can get myself to dump that tasty juice out.

Have everything cut, layed out, and ready. Once that water gets to rolling, it's GO TIME. Time to focus and get after it.

Enjoy and don't forget the butter.

[AllenW]

Had to look up "Mud Bugs" turns out to be crayfish.

Lots of suggestions, thanks all.

al