Cajun Seafood Boil
Equipment
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 24 oz beer (Corona or Dos Equis)
- 8 qt water
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 c Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp thyme (dried)
- 2 lemons (sliced)
- 10 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
- 2 onions (large) (peeled and sliced)
- 2 tbsp salt
- 3 lbs red potatoes (halved)
- 6 ears corn (cut into thirds)
- 1 lb Andouille sausage
- 2 lbs snow crab clusters
- 1 lb lobster tails ((optional))
- 1 lb mussels ((optional))
- 1 lb clams ((optional))
- 2 lb shrimp ((optional))
Garlic Sauce
- 2 c butter
- 8 garlic cloves (finely diced)
- ¼ c cajun seasoning
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 c broth (reserved from boil)
- parsley (fresh, for garnish)
- ½ c hot sauce ((optional, for serving))
Instructions
Seafood Boil
- Add 24 oz beer and 8 qt water to stock pot. Bring to a boil and add 5 bay leaves, 1 c Old Bay Seasoning, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp Cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tbsp thyme, 2 lemons, 2 tbsp salt, 10 garlic cloves, and 2 onions (large). Stir together and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 lbs red potatoes and 6 ears corn. Cook until potatoes are tender; add 1 lb Andouille sausage and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add 2 lbs snow crab clusters and cook for 3 minutes. The optionally add 1 lb lobster tails, 1 lb mussels, 1 lb clams, and 2 lb shrimp. Cover and allow to boil for 5 to 7 minutes (or until the mussels and clams pop open and shrimp are pink). Stir together, save 2 cups of the broth, and drain.
- Place seafood on top of large serving tray or newspaper.
Garlic Butter Sauce
- Melt 2 c butter over medium low heat in a large sauce pan. Add 8 garlic cloves and cook until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add ¼ c cajun seasoning, 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp onion powder, ½ tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 cup of reserved broth and simmer on low for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. If desired, add the remaining cup of broth for a thinner sauce. Add freshly chopped parsley and remove from heat.
- Pour sauce over seafood. Remaining sauce may be used as a dip.
- Optionally, serve with ½ c hot sauce.
Notes
Make sure you have a large stock pot for this! It makes a lot! We also usually cook the crab separately with Zatarian's seasoning instead of Old Bay and let the clusters stay in the broth to keep them warm during the meal. We strain out the potatoes, sausage, and corn before returning the broth back to the stock pot.