Another Favorite...We Both Love

     HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

This really isn't much of a recipe. It's more of a canvas for whatever seafood you have available to you in your area. It is definately one of my favorites, but then Seafood? yeah, I am so going to go there: "Seafood Diet = I seafood I eat it". SORRY! Just couldn't help it. Though one would think I should be 400 pounds the way I eat, not 120. Mike always says I can eat more than he does but I don't think so.

I think our love of seafood comes from living on the east coast of Florida for so long. We never had to worry if the seafood was fresh, it was always available in abundance. Miami and Fort Lauderdale have some of the best seafood restaurants. Since moving here (like I stated in a previous post) it is very hard to come by fresh.

So, for a seafood boil  you will need either that famous Old Bay Seasoning or as I prefer, Zatarain's Liquid Seafood Seasoning-Concentrated Crab and Shrimp Boil. I have also used Zatarain's Dry Seafood Seasoning Packets too. I like them both equally well as I think Zatarain's has more of a punch.

Place as large of a stockpot that you can get your hands on, full of water on the stove to boil. When boiling stir in all of your seasonings, the lemons and the onions. Return to a boil and add potatoes next and let them cook for about 10 minutes, as these take the longest to cook through. Then add the corn and the sausage. After the potatoes and corn are tender about another 15-20 minutes, then add your lobster or crab legs and cook about 5 minutes. If using oysters, clams or mussels they would go in now. Lastly, add the shrimp and cook another 5 minutes until pink (the final cooking time for your seafood will depend on how large your seafood actually is, ie... King Crab will take a little longer than Snow Crab etc...). Remove all ingredients and serve with bowls full of melted butter and lemon wedges. And lots of paper towels too.

Ingredients

kosher salt

seafood seasoning

whole garlic cloves

fennel seeds

bay leaves

corriander seeds

black peppercorns

red pepper flakes

lemons

crustaceans, of your choice

mollusks, also your choice

spicey sausage

new potatoes

whole corn on the cob, cut into halves or thirds

onions

Additional Ingredients (I have used in the past)

dry white wine

artichokes

carrots

celery

Last year I had made this version of a seafood boil dinner for my dad's birthday and now my mother has to make it for him every couple of weeks. It's my all time favorite. I didn't have any mollusks or artichokes on this particular day though. This recipe is very easy to play around with. It can simly be made with lots of shrimp, or shrimp and sausage. Try this, play around with it and adjust it to your liking. At least try this seasoning mixture in this version above from Michael Chiarello. You will certainly not be disappointed. I guarantee it.   

Michael and Carla