An easy one-pot dish for when you want to enjoy fresh seafood. Louisiana Seafood Boil is also a fun idea for informal celebrations with family and friends!
Have you eaten a dish that a particular region or cuisine is famous for and instantly had the urge to visit the place so you can eat more and more of that dish right where it originated? Me – every single time!! Though I have been to Southern United States, I have never been to Louisiana. The first time I tasted a Louisiana Seafood Boil was at a restaurant in Singapore. Mmmm! It was ‘love at first taste’! Ever since, Louisiana is in my foodie travel bucket list 🙂 I researched a bit on their cuisine & can’t wait to sit at a local restaurant in Louisiana & just eat, eat and eat! Haha! Until that happens, I am gonna enjoy my seafood boil (that I absolutely love) right at home! 🙂
A bit about Louisiana Cuisine
Louisiana is known as the home of true Cajun and Creole food. Before it became a part of the United States, Louisiana was a colony and many Europeans (mainly French and Spanish) had settled there. Creoles are people of mixed European, African and Native American descent who have been in Louisiana since the colonial era. Cajuns are descendants of the French colonial settlers (Acadians) in Canada who migrated to Louisiana after the British took over Canada in the 18th century. Though Creole and Cajun cuisines are unique in their own ways, they have some similarities because of their common French heritage. They combined French cooking techniques with local ingredients, and took tips from African, Caribbean, American Indian, Italian, Spanish and Irish cultures.
Seafood Boil – The way to celebrate!
‘Seafood Boil’ is not just a dish – it is a communal event that is central to Creole and Cajun traditions. A seafood boil is perfect for celebrations or get-togethers for family and friends.
We had absolutely no idea about this when we chose a seafood boil restaurant to celebrate R’s birthday! We went because, well, they had a birthday promotion for lobsters! 😉 A valid reason, I say! Haha! However, since that day, I totally get why it’s a great celebratory tradition! The whole experience – right from the seafood being brought in bags and metal buckets, poured onto a large table, mixed in sauces & eaten by hand – is messy, informal & fun! It was so SO tasty, damn, it was foodgasmic!
What goes into Seafood Boil
Simply put – boil shellfish, potatoes, onions, corn and sausages in a spice blend – you have a Seafood Boil! It’s as easy as that! Some people have it as is, or some have it with a sauce. I have included the recipe of a sauce I usually make with my seafood boil.
Louisiana is one of the largest producers of crawfish. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that crawfish boil is one of the most iconic dishes of the region! During the crawfish off-seasons, crabs and prawns are boiled in a similar manner.
There was this one time we went prawning (our first!) & managed to catch some jumbo tiger prawns. I decided it was time to recreate a seafood boil (served in a bag and all ;p ) at home 🙂 What better way to celebrate our first catch!
Traditionally, the water for seafood boil is seasoned with lemons and small muslin bags of creole/cajun spice blends. These days, splice blends called ‘crab boils’ or ‘crawfish boils’ can be store-bought. It is not difficult to find these in stores in US, or even here in Canada. But in Singapore, I could not find them..or maybe I just didn’t know where to look for them. So, when I first made the seafood boil, I made Old Bay seasoning at home.
If you can get hold of the store-bought seasoning, go ahead & try a Louisiana-style seafood boil at home with this recipe! Otherwise, make the spice blend at home like I did. Either way, this is a must- try dish you definitely don’t want to miss out on!
Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 nos. Corn Each cut into 4 or 5 pieces
- 1 no. Onion Quartered (Optional)
- 2 nos. Lemons Quartered
- 3 nos. Sausages Cut into 1" segments
- 5 nos. Potatoes Small size, Quartered or halved
- 400 – 500 g Mussels Washed & drained
- 12 nos. Jumbo Prawns Big size, Washed & drained
- 1 no. Louisiana Crawfish Boil Mixture Bag Or 5tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- Water
For Cajun Butter Sauce
- 125 g Butter
- 2 heads Garlic Chopped fine
- 1.5 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1.5 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp Lemon pepper
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 4 tbsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
- Juice from half a lemon
- Water
Instructions
- Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add a bag of Louisiana crawfish boil mixture or 5 tbsp of Old Bay seasoning and boil.
- Add corn, onion, lemons, sausages and potatoes, and continue boiling.
- 15 minutes into boiling, add mussels and after 5 more minutes, add prawns. You know they are cooked when the shells of the mussels open up and the prawns turn pink in colour. Take care not to overcook them and turn the stove off when cooked.
- Drain the boiled seafood, sausages and vegetables.
To make Cajun Butter Sauce
- When the seafood is boiling, begin making the sauce.
- Heat butter in a saucepan. When it has melted, add chopped garlic. (Don't wait till the butter starts browning) Saute until garlic turn translucent.
- Add the spices and hot sauce. The proportions in the ingredient list are how I make the sauce. Feel free to adjust to your taste. Start with 1 tbsp each of cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper and paprika.
- Add lemon juice. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more spices and hot sauce based on your heat tolerance level.
Assembling
- Serve the seafood boil warm on a large plate or a large newspaper or parchment sheet. For the feel of a restaurant experience, serve in a plastic bag (not an environment-friendly option, though).
- Pour the sauce in and mix well.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
Do let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #whenavagabondcooks.
I am salivating just reading this. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty and dig right in.
It’s really good! And what better way to have it than getting your hands dirty! Enjoy!
i miss seafood boil! can’t wait to make this on the weekend!
Enjoy the seafood boil! It’s a great way to celebrate the New Year! 🙂
Love a seafood boil and this one looks and sounds amazing!
Thanks Julia! Happy you liked it 🙂
We used to do seafood boils a lot when we lived on the west coast. This post makes me crave one. For sure this summer when we can do it outdoors. Happy New Year!
Oh yes! Seafood boil is a great summer recipe and it would be so much fun doing it outdoors 🙂 Happy New Year!
I’ve never had seafood boil before and this looks awesome. I’m making it tonight – wish me luck!
xx
http://www.girlwithaspatula.com
Hope it turned out well! 🙂
So interesting that you had this in Singapore, not Louisiana (haha) But what a great way to celebrate! Can’t wait to try it myself!
Lol! Yess, it’s funny that’s where I first tried Louisiana Seafood Boil! So many great food memories from Singapore – they have awesome food from all over the world!