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.
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| Lobster Seafood Boil |
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| Crawfish Tails Seafood Boil |
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
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| Look for live fiesty lobsters at your fish monger. Remove the elastic bands just before cooking. |
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| Whack crawfish tails with the side of cleaver to loosen shells. This also helps the butter sauce to seep into the tails. |
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| Essential Add-Ins for a complete seafood boil |
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| The seasonings that make the boil Cajun authentic! |
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| Beer adds depth and deliciousness |
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.
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.
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| Well, will you just look at that!!! |
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| Crawfish Tails Seafood Boil ready for feasting |
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| 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 🇨🇦🦞.
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| 'Em cute tasty tails |
Next time, we will do the butcher paper-lined table experience!
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| 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.
