Seafood Boil
A bounty of fresh seafood, simmered in an ultra-flavorful broth with smoky sausage and heaps of aromatic vegetables! Each bite delivers a variety of tastes and textures, and the presentation can’t be beat!
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
A classic seafood boil is the definitive one-pot meal, a feast that goes straight from the cooktop to the dinner table.
This seafood boil contains lobster, shrimp, clams, crab legs, potatoes, corn, and sausage – and each element adds to the beauty of the dish. Sweet shellfish and corn, earthy potatoes, smoky sausage, and a savory/herby broth commingle in the pot, balancing flavors as everything boils to perfection. It’s easy, hearty, and virtually foolproof!
Save money by purchasing frozen seafood
A seafood boil is an excellent dish for stretching expensive ingredients like lobster, shrimp, and crab because they’re partnered with more affordable items like potatoes and corn. That said, purchasing an abundance of fresh seafood can get pricey. Frozen seafood is often significantly less expensive than its fresh counterpart, so choose frozen lobster, shrimp, and crab and you’ll likely save a bundle. Thaw frozen seafood overnight in the refrigerator. If you forget to thaw your lobster tails and shrimp, speed up thawing by rinsing them under cold water for about 5 minutes.
Choose a shrimp size that suits you
I prefer bigger shrimp (16/20 count per pound) in my seafood boil because they stand up to the chunkier pieces of lobster, corn, and potatoes. But that’s just me; you can use any size shrimp you prefer (or what’s on sale). You can also use shell-on or peeled and deveined shrimp (peeled/deveined shrimp are often pricier). I fancy peeled shrimp (with the tails on) because they require less work, and the shrimp are easier to eat.
Buy small lobster tails
In my opinion, 3- to 4-ounce petite lobster tails are ideal for a seafood boil because they require no halving, and the tails are the perfect size for the pot. Plus, petite tails make a great presentation. If you prefer to use larger lobster tails, halve them lengthwise before cooking.
Choose affordable crab legs if desired
I used frozen snow crab legs, but there are many other options. You can use Dungeness crab, king crab, or spiny lobster tail.
- Choose baby/small red, yellow, or white potatoes. I used baby yellow potatoes, but small red and white potatoes are also excellent options.
- Opt for mild or spicy sausage. I chose Andouille sausage, a garlicky, herby sausage with a little heat. For a milder option, use kielbasa.
- Use fresh corn. While frozen corn is convenient (and clearly an option when fresh isn’t available), you can’t beat the sweetness of fresh cob corn in this dish. You can use white, yellow, or bicolor. I used white.
Use a large stockpot
Use your largest stockpot or Dutch oven for this seafood boil, ideally one that’s at least 12 quarts. The goal is to have enough room for the ingredients to move around freely while cooking.
Add ingredients in stages. The ingredients in this recipe cook at different rates, so you need to add the seafood and vegetables in stages. As instructed below, start with the items that take the longest to cook and gradually add the rest of the ingredients based on their cooking times.
Serve your seafood boil immediately
A seafood boil tastes best when freshly cooked. Plus, seafood is highly perishable, so plan to serve your seafood boil as soon as it’s ready. Leftovers should be refrigerated for no longer than 2 days.
Clean your clams well
You should remove any debris and grit from the outside of your clams, AND you must make sure there’s no grit inside the shells; any sandiness will end up in your seafood boil and that’s no fun. Soak your clams in cold water for 20 minutes, three times. Yes, that’s one hour of soaking. If desired, add salt water to the first bowl of cold water; this scenario mimics the sea, and the clams are likely to open and “clean themselves” naturally.
When moving the clams from one soaking bowl to the next, lift them from the cold water with your hands to transfer them (versus dumping the bowl into the next bowl). This ensures that any sand is left at the bottom of the bowl.
If any clams are open before soaking (and don’t close with gentle pressure) discard them. Once your seafood boil is finished cooking, discard any clams that haven’t opened. For this recipe, I used Littleneck clams.
Consider alternative seafood options
There are no true rules when it comes to a seafood boil, so feel free to substitute seafood as desired. Great options include mussels, scallops, and chunks of firm-fleshed fish, such as swordfish, cod, halibut, mahi-mahi, and monkfish.
What should you serve with your seafood boil?
Since a seafood boil contains protein, starch, and vegetables, it’s often considered a complete meal. If you’d like side dish suggestions, I recommend bread (for soaking up the flavorful juices). Great options include a French baguette, sourdough bread, and/or cornbread. You could also add a fresh green salad, coleslaw, potato salad (can we link to my coleslaw and potato salad recipes here?), or steamed or roasted vegetables like broccoli and asparagus.
Seafood Boil
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, quartered, plus extra lemon wedges for serving
- 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
- 1 1/2 pounds baby/small red, yellow, or white potatoes, scrubbed clean and halved
- 4 ears cob corn, husked, and cut into thirds
- 4-6 petite lobster tails, about 3-4 ounces each
- 16-18 Littleneck clams, scrubbed clean (see note above)
- 2 pounds extra-large shrimp, 16/20 count, peeled and deveined (leave tails on), or shrimp of choice
- 1 pound pre-cooked crab legs, such as snow crab, king crab, or Dungeness crab
- 12-16 ounces smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 14 cups of water. Add the 2 quartered lemons, Old Bay seasoning, garlic, and onion. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and corn and cook for 8 minutes. Add the lobster tails and clams and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, crab legs, and sausage and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque, and the clams have opened. Discard any clams that haven’t opened.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to remove the seafood mixture from the pot, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Transfer the seafood mixture to a large serving platter or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk the butter into the reserved broth. Pour some of the broth over the seafood and vegetables. Reserve the remaining broth for serving.
- Sprinkle everything with additional Old Bay seasoning. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges and serve.