Cajun Seafood Boil with Ultimate Garlic Butter Sauce

There is something wonderfully indulgent about a Louisiana seafood boil. A big pot filled with seafood, corn, potatoes and all the good things, followed by a generous coating of garlicky Cajun butter. It looks like something you'd order at a restaurant, but the truth is, a seafood boil is surprisingly easy to make at home, and so much cheaper too.

Lobster Seafood Boil

This was actually my second time making a Cajun seafood boil at home due to a request from my youngest. The first time, I went all out with whole lobsters. The next time, I switched things up and used frozen crawfish tails. Both versions were delicious, but I love how adaptable the  boil is- using whatever seafood you enjoy or whatever happens to be available and affordable.

Crawfish Tails Seafood Boil

And as luck would have it, my lobster boil happened to land on September 25th, National Lobster Day. I couldn't have planned that better if I tried!

The beauty of a seafood boil is that the cooking process itself is incredibly simple. You are essentially creating a flavourful broth and then cooking your ingredients in stages (according to how long they need to cook), allowing everything to soak up all that seasoned goodness. For my broth, I use Old Bay and Cajun seasoning, with cayenne if I want some extra heat. But there are a few ingredients that really make the broth special: onions, lemons, bay leaves and beer- yes beer 🍺.

If there is one thing you absolutely need for an ultimate seafood boil, it's the sauce- a garlicky rich and savoury Cajun butter sauce is where all that flavour really comes together, that gets poured over the cooked seafood while holding some back for individual dipping bowls for further sopping.

And the best part is digging in true boil fashion- get messy with plenty of napkins nearby. Spread everything out on a big platter or right onto a table lined with parchment or butcher paper, grab some crusty bread for soaking up the extra sauce, and devour away.

Cajun Seafood Boil

Serves 4 to 6

2 lbs. small potatoes or medium potatoes, cut in half

4 fresh corn on cob, chopped into 4 to 5 pieces (use a cleaver)

6 whole (1-1/4 lbs.) live lobsters

1 lb. jumbo shrimps (shell-on)

1 lb. mussels on the half-shell

1 lb. crawfish (frozen whole, or tails), optional

1 lb. Polish or Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

The Spicy Boil Broth:

2-1/2 gallons of water

1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning

3 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

1 to 2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1 can or bottle beer (optional, adds depth)

2 large onions, halved

2 heads of garlic, halved

2 lemons, halved

5 bay leaves

The Ultimate Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce:

2 cups unsalted butter

8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

3/4 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning

3/4 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 Tbsp. paprika (for colour)

1 cup reserved boiling broth

Look for live fiesty lobsters at your fish monger.
Remove the elastic bands just before cooking.

Whack crawfish tails with the side of cleaver to loosen shells.
This also helps the butter sauce to seep into the tails.

Essential Add-Ins for a complete seafood boil

In your largest pot, bring water, beer, onions, garlic, lemon, bay leaves and broth seasonings to a roaring boil. Let it boil for five minutes so the spices open up.

The seasonings that make the boil Cajun authentic!

Beer adds depth and deliciousness

Add the potatoes, cover and let cook for 10 mins. Add the corn; cover and let cook for 5 mins. Add the lobsters, one by one, head in first. Cover and cook for about six minutes.

Add the shrimps, cover and boil for 2 mins. before adding the mussels and crawfish tails. Cover and cook for another 3 mins. or until the lobsters are bright red and the potatoes are fork-tender. Reserve 1 cup seafood broth for the sauce. 

Meanwhile, while the boil finishes, in a saucepan over medium heat, pan-fry the sausage slices until golden and set aside. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the garlic until fragrant about 2 mins. Stir in the sauce seasonings and 1 cup of reserved seafood broth. Simmer for 3 mins. or until slightly thickened.

Carefully remove the lobsters onto a large platter. Strain the remaining boil a metal strainer, discard the loose boiled onions, garlic, bay leaves and set aside. *I keep the lemon halves for extra flavour squeezing tableside. Dump everything into a large platter or turkey pan, add the sausages, then pour in all/ half the sauce and keep some for individual bowls. I like to serve my whole lobsters separately, so I then top the platter with them in true luxury gourmet feast fashion. 

Well, will you just look at that!!!

Crawfish Tails Seafood Boil ready for feasting

Always need the extra scrumptious sauce for dipping

And perhaps this Cajun seafood boil is a little prelude to what’s to come.

There’s a lot more crustaceans, mollusks and fins on the horizon; my next culinary adventure is taking me to a not-too-far destination where the ocean, local traditions and some seriously good seafood are part of the story. Stay tuned... The next seafood chapter is going to be a very Canadian one 🇨🇦🦞.

'Em cute tasty tails

Next time, we will do the butcher paper-lined table experience!

Nom Nom

Full Recipe:

Cajun Seafood Boil

Serves 4 to 6

2 lbs. small potatoes or medium potatoes, cut in half

4 fresh corn on cob, chopped into 4 to 5 pieces (use a cleaver)

6 whole (1-1/4 lbs.) live lobsters

1 lb. jumbo shrimps (shell-on)

1 lb. mussels on the half-shell

1 lb. crawfish (frozen whole, or tails), optional

1 lb. Polish or Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

The Spicy Boil Broth:

2-1/2 gallons of water

1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning

3 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

1 to 2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1 can or bottle beer (optional, adds depth)

2 large onions, halved

2 heads of garlic, halved

2 lemons, halved

5 bay leaves

The Ultimate Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce:

2 cups unsalted butter

8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

3/4 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning

3/4 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 Tbsp. paprika (for colour)

1 cup reserved boiling broth

In your largest pot, bring water, beer, onions, garlic, lemon, bay leaves and broth seasonings to a roaring boil. Let it boil for five minutes so the spices open up.

Add the potatoes, cover and let cook for 10 mins. Add the corn; cover and let cook for 5 mins. Add the lobsters, one by one, head in first. Cover and cook for about six minutes.

Add the shrimps, cover and boil for 2 mins. before adding the mussels and crawfish tails. Cover and cook for another 3 mins. or until the lobsters are bright red and the potatoes are fork-tender. Reserve 1 cup seafood broth for the sauce. 

Meanwhile, while the boil finishes, in a saucepan over medium heat, pan-fry the sausage slices until golden and set aside. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the garlic until fragrant about 2 mins. Stir in the sauce seasonings and 1 cup of reserved seafood broth. Simmer for 3 mins. or until slightly thickened.

Carefully remove the lobsters onto a large platter. Strain the remaining boil a metal strainer, discard the loose boiled onions, garlic, bay leaves and set aside. *I keep the lemon halves for extra flavour squeezing tableside. Dump everything into a large platter or turkey pan, add the sausages, then pour in all/ half the sauce and keep some for individual bowls. I like to serve my whole lobsters separately, so I then top the platter with them in true luxury gourmet feast fashion. 

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh)...

Freshly back from Hong Kong, and with the delectable dim sum experience still heavily on my mind and tastebuds, I had a craving for Chinese brunch favourite savoury turnip cake 煎蘿蔔糕 lo bak goh. My cousin Pessy who treated us in HK tells me this is her go-to potluck dish and she's mastered it after making it many times and to rave reviews 😍. Also cause I had just purchased a few large turnips to make chicken and pork broth (adds sweetness) and the leftover piece was just the perfect amount to try my hands on this classic. I've made it with my mom several times in the past but somehow it just seemed a lot of effort. With her bringing me some often I was deterred to make it, but not this time :). Crispy brown on the outside, tender savoury on the inside... so hard to resist 😋 not to try cooking it myself!

Turnip cake is seen as a good luck food and enjoyed during Lunar New Year because its name symbolizes luck and prosperity. The word for cake "goh" 糕 is a homonym of the words tall, rising, growth and achieving a higher level. There are several steps to making this cake so it's ideal to prepare it a day or two in advance as you need it to cool completely after steaming (overnight is best) for clean slicing and best eaten pan-fried until crispy.

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh) (adapted from Cook With Lau)

Makes 10 to 12 pieces 

2 lbs Chinese turnip, peeled and grated through a large hole grater (do not drain excess liquid)
250 g regular rice flour
1-1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced
30 g (2 Tbsp) dried shrimp, rinsed, soaked for 15 mins, drained and minced (reserve liquid)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, soaked for 4 hours, drained and minced
1 piece Chinese sausage, minced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 pieces green onions, thinly sliced

Note: Choose heavy, fat and firm daikon or turnip that have more water content and are sweeter.

Whisk rice flour (measure 250g on a scale for accuracy) and water in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

Heat a large skillet/pan on high for a few minutes with 1 Tbsp oil. Cook the garlic and dried shrimp for about 30 seconds. Add the shiitakes; cook for 30 seconds. Cook the Chinese sausage (save some for garnish) for about 30 seconds. Add the turnip and its juice, stir the wok, cover the wok, and cook it for 6-7 minutes. 

Add salt, chicken bouillon, white pepper and sesame oil. Mix the flavours around the wok, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the cake pan by cutting out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom with, spreading oil around the inner rim of the cake pan (with your finger or a brush) Note: any type of cake pan (square, non-removable base, etc) works as long as it fits in your steamer.

I used my non-stick 9" springform cake pan 

When the mixture starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour mixture. Note: look for the water released from the turnip. Do not pour it all in at once and continuously stir the mixture to ensure you don’t produce lumps for two minutes until thickened. Note: add a few tablespoons water if the mixture is too gluey (reserve the dried shrimp water for this), but not too much unless you want a much softer result. I prefer mine tender but firm. 

Transfer the mixture into the cake pan, flatten out the surface, and spread remaining 1 Tbsp. oil around the surface with a spoon for a shiny and appetizing finish.

Fill steamer to the water limit and bring it to a boil on high heat. Transfer the cake pan to the steamer and cover it. Cook for 20 mins. on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 mins. more.

It is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the centre pulls out clean without gluey debris stuck to it.

While the cake pan is still in the steamer, sprinkle the leftover Chinese sausage onto the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the cake pan from the steamer; garnish with green onion.

Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then let it cool in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.Remove the turnip cake from the pan. Slice the cake however you'd like. If you're pan frying, then little sections are perfect. I cut mine into 10 heartier pieces.

Pan frying is highly recommended. It brings out a nice, crispy and crunchy bit contrast to the tender interior. Heat up a pan with oil on high heat for a few minutes, and then pan fry them for about 4-7 minutes per side until they’re golden brown.

I love serving Koon Yick chilli sauce on all dim sum

FULL RECIPE:

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh) (adapted from Cook With Lau)

Makes 10 to 12 pieces 

2 lbs Chinese turnip, peeled and grated through a large hole grater (do not drain excess liquid)
250 g regular rice flour
1-1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced
30 g (2 Tbsp) dried shrimp, rinsed, soaked for 15 mins, drained and minced (reserve liquid)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, soaked for 4 hours, drained and minced
1 piece Chinese sausage, minced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 pieces green onions, thinly sliced

Note: Choose heavy, fat and firm daikon or turnip that have more water content and are sweeter.

Whisk rice flour (measure 250g on a scale for accuracy) and water in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

Heat a large skillet/pan on high for a few minutes with 1 Tbsp oil. Cook the garlic and dried shrimp for about 30 seconds. Add the shiitakes; cook for 30 seconds. Cook the Chinese sausage (save some for garnish) for about 30 seconds. Addd the turnip and its juice, stir the wok, cover the wok, and cook it for 6-7 minutes. 

Add salt, chicken bouillon, white pepper and sesame oil. Mix the flavours around the wok, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Note: look for the water released from the turnip.

Meanwhile, prepare the cake pan by cutting out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom with, spreading oil around the inner rim of the cake pan (with your finger or a brush) Note: any type of cake pan (square, non-removable base, etc) works as long as it fits in your steamer.

When the mixture starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour mixture. Do not pour it all in at once and continuously stir the mixture to ensure you don’t produce lumps for two minutes until thickened. Note: add a few tablespoons water if the mixture is too gluey (reserve the dried shrimp water for this), but not too much unless you want a softer result. I prefer mine tender but firm. 

Transfer the mixture into the cake pan, flatten out the surface, and spread remaining 1 Tbsp. oil around the surface with a spoon for a shiny and appetizing finish.

Fill steamer to the water limit and bring it to a boil on high heat. Transfer the cake pan to the steamer and cover it. Cook for 20 mins. on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 mins. more.

It is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the centre pulls out clean without gluey debris stuck to it.

While the cake pan is still in the steamer, sprinkle the leftover Chinese sausage onto the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the cake pan from the steamer; garnish with green onion.

Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then let it cool in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.Remove the turnip cake from the pan. Slice the cake however you'd like. If you're pan frying, then little sections are perfect. I cut mine into 10 heartier pieces.

Pan frying is highly recommended. It brings out a nice, crispy and crunchy contrast to the tender interior.

Heat up a pan with oil on high heat for a few minutes, and then pan fry them for about 4-7 minutes per side until they’re golden brown.

Can't wait to make and bring some for mom. I think she will approve 😊. If you also like taro cake (popular during Harvest Moon Festival) prepared in a similar fashion, check the link under image.

Pan-Fried Taro Cake

Stay tuned for more restaurant-quality but comfort eats made at home, inspired from my trip to Thailand 🇹🇭 and Hong Kong 🇭🇰 to honour Asian Heritage Month.

Eritrean and Injera Workshop at Newcomer Kitchen...

 

Have you ever tried injera, a spongy, sour flatbread made with teff the tiniest grain in the world that is a nutrition powerhouse and has no gluten- a main staple in Ethiopian and Eritrean meals as an eating utensil to scoop food? 🥘 #superfood 

We at Newcomer Kitchen were very excited to host our first ever evening cooking workshop at our beautiful renovated century loft kitchen in downtown Toronto in late September at CSI Spadina, Toronto.

Asmait Merhatsion who is in our business incubator program has recently arrived from living for 12 years in Israel worked for an NGO for women's health, extensively with refugees and has hosted lots of cooking workshops.  She had fascinating stories to tell about the turbulent journey from Eritrea to living in multiple countries in the Middle East before coming to Canada. Woven between demonstrations and hands-on learning, we made Injera, the teff flatbread that is the foundation of all Eritrean meals.

We prepared a cabbage and potato stew, red lentil stew and a lovely beet and tomato salad to accompany the meal 🇪🇷. 

To finish we made a sweet bread- himbasha that is the 'celebration cake' of Eritrea (Asmait uses raisins instead of the usual black nigella seeds and lemon zest) which I had the pleasure to take home leftover dough to bake up for my family. 

Perfect with a cuppa' for weekend brunch

It was a profound 'cook and learn' evening to remember with heartfelt feedback from our guests. Thank you Asmait for hosting a beautiful evening! 💗

Taking Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine and flavours further at home... But first let's feast our eyes on this restaurant carousel of vibrant healthful veggies 🌈!

Ethiopian cuisine has been top of my list for trying my hands on at home. With the workshop fresh on my mind, a bag each of shiro (chickpea powder) and berbere (a fiery medley of spices and chilies) given to me by Asmait, and picking up fresh prepared injera from Iqbal supermarket, the time has happily come...

Their staple injera-- a thick, spongy pancake-like sourdough bread is made from the smallest super grain in the world-- teff (Ethiopia's principle grain) is not only a food but it serves as a utensil and plate. Accompanying dishes are placed on it-- a bit of bread is torn off and used to wrap the food to eat. Widely used flavours of spicy and complexity include hot chilies, fenugreek, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, mint, garlic and onions. 

Although meat is prevalent on the menu, I always opt for vegetarian. Tonight, I prepared three veggie-licious dishes. Shiro (chickpea powder) Wat stew made with onions, tomatoes, berbere, ginger and garlic cooked until silky. Although it should be smooth, mine turned out chunky but flavourful. Misir Wat is a fiery red lentil stew cooked down with onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger and garlic in a broth. This was our favourite tonight. And the third, Atakilt Wat, a simple cumin and turmeric spiced cabbage, carrot and potato stir fry. A lovely textural filling in a swoop with a piece of injera. By the time dinner was served the stews cooled- should have a thinner texture for easy mopping 🤗

Berbere (a fiery medley of spices and chilies) 

After an Eritrean/Ethiopian meal, one can enjoy the relaxing aromas of burning frankincense (an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree and burned as incense), and hand-roasting of coffee beans and ground by the hostess. It is custom for Ethiopians to drink the strong coffee with a pinch of salt or clarified butter and serve it with popcorn. Many coffee drinkers do not know that the birthplace of coffee plantations originated in the ⛰ of Keffa, a province of Ethiopia- the very word where 'coffee' comes from ☕🍿❤🇪🇹