Most coastal regions in the United States, from New England to the West Coast and the Gulf shores, have adapted the classic seafood boil to accommodate local ingredients. Whatever you choose to use, the process involves the same technique of boiling seafood, corn and vegetables in a highly seasoned pot of water. The result is a flavorful, low-calorie dinner that leaves you with very little cleanup.
Step 1
Prepare the water for the seafood boil. Fill a stockpot large enough to accommodate the seafood and vegetables with water, and fit in a steamer basket if desired. Add coarsely chopped onion, celery, lemon halves, garlic bulbs, peppercorns, bay leaves and kosher or sea salt to the water, as well as a commercial crab-boil seasoning mix. Prepare the seasoning mix yourself, if desired, using spices such as mustard seed, coriander seed, allspice, dill seeds, cloves, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds.
Step 2
Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Boil the water for at least 15 minutes to allow the ingredients to lend their flavor to the water.
Step 3
Add whole new potatoes to the water and boil for 10 minutes. Add the ears of corn to the water, and boil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and corn are fully cooked. Remove them from the water.
Step 4
Add your seafood to the water in order of cooking times from longest to shortest. Lobsters would go into the boiling water first, for example, followed by clams and then shrimp. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the lobsters are a bright red color, the shrimp are pink and opaque and the clams have opened their shells.
Step 5
Drain the seafood and serve your seafood boil with melted butter for dipping.
Tips and Warnings
- Experiment with different types of vegetables and seafood. Seafood boils on the west coast usually incorporate artichokes into the mix, while a traditional Louisiana boil uses crawfish and crab as well as andouille sausage. Consider adding prawns, mushrooms, cabbage, kielbasa or scallops to the mix as well.
- Be sure to use only fresh shellfish and mollusks in your seafood boil. The Food and Drug Administration cautions that crab and lobsters begin to deteriorate rapidly after they die, so always check for leg movement when purchasing to make sure they have not begun to spoil. Discard any clams with broken or cracked shells, as well as those with shells that remain unopened after cooking them.
Things You'll Need
- Large stockpot with tight-fitting lid
- Onions
- Celery stalks
- Lemons
- Garlic bulbs
- Peppercorns
- Bay leaves
- Kosher or sea salt
- Crab-boil seasoning
- Whole new potatoes
- Corn on the cob, shucked
- Lobster
- Clams
- Shrimp
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