In South Louisiana, backyard crawfish or seafood boils are the types of events that you look forward to all year round. Whether it’s the communal eating tradition, methods by which you prepare or ingest the cuisine, or just the flavors of the boiled seafood and vegetables themselves, there’s always something to look forward to. Luckily this recipe for a Creole-Seasoned Seafood Boil from food blog Food52 with supplemental information from Everyday Creole is the perfect resource you need to keep the spirit of a successful Louisiana Seafood Boil alive and well.

 Before beginning the recipe, it should be duly noted that this is by no means a definitive list of ingredients or cooking practices. As anyone who’s ever been at the helm of a boiling stockpot knows, every Louisiana chef and cook has their own method to their particular culinary madness. That being said, the tried-and-true phrase of “fresh is best” should apply in this recipe, as it often does. When procuring seafood, sausages, and vegetables, it’s always a good practice to try and get the freshest, locally sourced ingredients available. This will not only elevate your final dish but also your Creole authenticity.

Ingredients:

• Half a large stockpot of water
• 16 ounces of beer (any style)
• 12 red potatoes, halved
• 6 ears of corn, quartered (with husks and silks removed)
• 4 lemons, sliced in quarters
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, halved
• 2 pounds of Zatarain’s Smoked Andouille Sausage, sliced into quarters
• 2 pounds of large raw shrimp, unpeeled
• 2 points of snow crab legs or whole blue crabs
• 2 pounds of butter (8 sticks)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons of lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of onion powder
• 1 cup of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of smoked paprika plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 2 teaspoons of Zatarain’s Concentrated Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil, divided
• ¾ cup of Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning plus 2 additional tablespoons, divided

Directions:

1. You’ll start this recipe by filling your large stockpot to its halfway marker with water. Bring the water to a boil before proceeding.
2. Once boiling, add in your beer, ¾ cup of Creole Seasoning, ¼ cup of smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon of Concentrated Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil, bay leaves, red potatoes, lemons, and your halved head of garlic. Stir in your ingredients, and bring the stockpot back up to a boil.
3. In a nearby skillet or saucepan, brown your sausage quarters until they emit their oils and are properly slightly blackened on both sides. Then, add your sausage into the stockpot, stir together the ingredient mixture and sausage, and bring your heat down to medium. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or until your potatoes are slightly tender.  When they are, add in your corn, while continuing to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add in your shrimp and crab to the stockpot at this point, and continue to cook it all until the seafood is fully cooked. While this happens, melt your butter into a saucepan over medium heat after you dispose of the sausage oil from earlier. Stir in your minced garlic into the nutter, and cook until the butter begins to caramelize. Stir in the brown sugar, lemon pepper seasoning, 2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of Concentrated Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil. Simmer this all on low until you’re ready to serve.
5. When finished, drain the liquid from the stockpot and serve your seafood boil immediately. Feel free to drizzle the butter sauce atop your boil or use it as a complimentary dip.
6. Enjoy!

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