Best Crab Boil Recipes

CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add potatoes, sausages, onions, corn, and seafood seasoning. Cook mixture at a boil until the potatoes are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Gently drop crabs into the boiling mixture; cook until the crabmeat is cooked through, at least 10 minutes. Drain water.

KING CRAB AND SHRIMP BOIL

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large stewing pot; add seafood seasoning. Cook potatoes in the seasoned water for 15 minutes.
• Bring a separate pot of water to a boil; add seafood seasoning to taste. Cook crab legs until meat is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Mix carrots, celery, and onions into potatoes; cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add sausage and corn and continue boiling for 5 minutes more. Add shrimp and transfer crab legs to same pot; cook until shrimp are cooked through and pink, 2 to 3 minutes.

ZATARAIN'S COPYCAT CRAB BOIL MIX

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients well, crushing slightly. Place all on a muslin or cheesecloth square, gather corners and tie securely.
• When the water for the seafood is boiling add the crab boil sachet along with plenty of salt. Continue boiling until the water takes on color before adding seafood.

CAROLINA CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown sausage. Stir in broth, water, beer, seafood seasoning and bay leaves. Add vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender., Add crab; heat through. Drain; remove bay leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl; season with pepper.

CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• In a small stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the artichokes, sausage and onions until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add 12 cups (3 quarts) water, the potatoes, crab boil spice mix, salt, hot sauce, pepper, bay leaves and jalapenos. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the corn and cover. Cook until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the crab and cook about 7 minutes. Strain the boil through a colander. Plate immediately on a large serving dish. Garnish with sliced green onions or your favorite fresh herb. Serve with the Garlic Bread.
• Position an oven rack in the top of the oven and preheat the broiler.
• In a small bowl, mix the butter together with the Parmesan, parsley, garlic and scallions; add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Spread the butter mixture on both halves of the baguette. Place on a sheet pan and toast under the broiler, about 2 minutes.

CRAB AND SHRIMP BOIL PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
• As the water heats, in a Dutch oven or pot, sear sausage in oil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the sausage browns, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate to drain, and discard pan drippings.
• Add butter to the pot. When it melts, add garlic and sauté until fragrant. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)
• Stir in broth, and add seafood seasoning, Cajun seasoning, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes, then taste and adjust for seasonings. Set aside 1/2 cup garlic broth for serving.
• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Add crab meat to the broth and gently stir until heated through. Add pasta and toss with tongs until evenly coated. Pour pasta into large serving bowl, then top with sausage and the sheet-pan shrimp boil. Drizzle the reserved garlic broth on top of the mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

CRAB-BOIL SPICES

Steps:

• In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until mixture forms a coarse powder. Crab-boil spices keep in a well-sealed container for several months in a cool, dark place.

DUNGENESS CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine first four ingredients with enough water to submerge crabs. Do not submerge crabs at this point. Bring liquid to a simmer and add crabs headfirst to water. Cook the 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs about 15 minutes, and the 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes. Strain cooked crabs into a colander and rinse briefly under cool water. Serve with Drawn Butter, Tarragon Aioli and Aioli with Piment d'Espelette.
• In a small pan over low heat, melt butter and skim any solids that rise to the top. Pour butter into ramekins for use tableside, leaving behind any milk solids that have settled to the bottom of the pan.
• In the base of a blender or food processor, whirl garlic cloves, tarragon leaves and egg yolk to create a creamy blend. Add lemon zest and juice and blend again. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil to create an emulsified, creamy consistency. Avoid adding oil too quickly or vinaigrette will separate. Add a teaspoon of water when emulsion becomes tight and then continue to add oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh pepper.
• Place garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; process to combine. Add egg and, with the motor running, slowly add oils until mixture is thickened and emulsified. Stir in piment d'Espelette and refrigerate.

SEAFOOD (CRAB, SHRIMP AND LOBSTER) BOIL AND HOW TO OPEN AND EAT

Steps:

• In a very large outdoor boiler/fryer or in a very large pot heat first 9 ingredients. Using half the water and adding as you need it so food is completely submerged with an extra 2-4 inches to cover.
• When it comes to a boil lower heat to medium high and add sausages cook 3 minutes add potatoes cook for 8 minutes add corn and Dungeness crabs cook for 4 minutes and follow with rest of the crabs cooking for 7 minutes. There should be enough water so that the crab is completely submerged.
• Strain into a large pot or bowl set aside and cover.
• If needed add more beer or water into the cooking liquid.
• Add lobster into pot and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add clams for 1 minute add shrimp for 3-4 minutes, toss.
• Dump and Serve on table covered with brown paper with melted butter, lemon, salt, and cocktail sauce.
• Open a lobster-- To open a boiled or steamed lobster.
• Break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from shell, leaving "lady" or stomach on shell.
• Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills from body, break later through middle and pick out meat joints.
• Cut with very sharp scissors through length of underside of tail, draw meat from shell,yum.
• Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord.
• Break edge of large claws and remove meat.
• Enjoy!
• For the Crab--.
• Twist off the legs and claws, take the mallet, and have fun gigging out the meat with forks or picks.
• Pry off the crabs "apron," the small flap on the underside, and discard it.
• Next, with the crab upside down, press down on one side of the top shell and pull up on the center and leg sections with the other hand until they come apart, discard top shell. Also, discard the intestine, which runs down the center of the back.
• Remove the gills (NOT EDIBLE) from each side and discard.
• The greenish yellow "mustard." Of course, it's not really mustard (it is the crustacean's equivalent of a liver). Many do eat it, but probably as many just toss it.
• The "crab butter" (the yellow, mushy stuff in the cavity. Is consider a delicacy and there are recipes that call for them. So, set them aside if you like. If not discard.
• Snap crab body in half.
• The edges where the two halves have broken open are where you'll find the biggest chunks of crabmeat. Pull it out with your fingers. As you dig deeper into the body closer to the leg openings, a knife or pick comes in handy. There are smaller cavities here, which should not be overlooked.
• To Crack claws either use a mallet or a nutcracker. A mallet is fairly self-explanatory but look out for flying bits of shell and juice.
• Before you roll up the mess in the paper, carefully check that no utensils or, even worse, a stray uneaten claw gets thrown away by accident.
• Be sure to put the garbage bags in tightly sealed cans to keep animals out. Even if you wash your hands thoroughly with soap the smell of crabs and Old Bay may linger for a day. Rubbing lemon juice mixed with baking soda on your hands will remove this odor.

DADDY'S SHRIMP OR CRAB BOIL SEASONING SECRET

Steps:

• 1. First, place a small skillet on medium/medium hight heat. Add the chili powder cayenne, and cajun seasonings to the DRY skillet and toast, stirring constantly, until they become fragrant. This helps the spices to "bloom" and release their flavor.
• 2. SHRIMP: Place the raw, shell-on shrimp into a pot and rinse once with cool water, then just barely cover with fresh water. Place the pot on the stove, add all the spices and heat on medium high until the shrimp mixture starts to boil. Keep an eye on them at this point, stirring freguently, and they will be done as soon as they turn pinkish white and start to curl, about 3 to 5 minutes. You do not want to overcook them, or they will become rubbery. Immediately remove from heat and drain off the liquid, save for about a 1/4 cup. Add two cups of ice to a separate bowl and add the shrimp and reserved liquid, stirring for a few minutes to aid in cooling. My Dad always used to throw the steaming bowl of shrimp into the freezer to cool. You can serve them hot, warm, or chilled, shell on or off.
• 3. CRAB: Follow above cooking directions except cover raw crabs with an inch of cold water. Once the water boils, the crabmeat will turn opaque and the shells an orange shade, about 7 minutes. remove from water and serve hot.

CRAB AND SHRIMP BOIL WITH NEW POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a very large stockpot. Add the Old Bay, salt, garlic, chile flakes and parsley and boil for 10 minutes to infuse. Add the potatoes and cook another 10 minutes. Add the crabs; cook 10 minutes more, or until the crabs are cooked through. Carefully remove the crabs with tongs; then add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just opaque. Drain immediately. Serve the crab, shrimp and potatoes with melted butter, toasted bread and lemon wedges.

DUNGENESS CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• 1. add water, salt and old bay to a large stock pot and bring to hard boil ( i use a 24 quart pot )
• 2. drop crab and return to a boil
• 3. boil 15 minutes, remove, let cool to touch. clean, crack and serve with lemon and butter. I prefer mine cold with a nice salad and a San Francisco sour dough baguette.

HOT CAJUN-STYLE CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• Place 2 gallons of water and the crab-boil seasoning in a large stockpot, cover and bring to a boil. (Note: This can be done a few hours ahead, set aside and brought back to a boil at serving time to intensify the stock flavor.) Add salt to taste.
• Add the onions and potatoes to the boiling stock, cover and bring the stock back to a boil. Boil gently for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the crabs well in a sink filled with cold water. Using metal tongs, lift the crabs from the sink, and after discarding any dead or smelly crabs, add them to the stockpot with the sausage and garlic. Bring the mixture back to a boil, and boil gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the corn, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Then, turn off the heat, and let the pot sit (up to 1 hour) until serving time.
• At serving time, drain off the stock, and arrange crab boil ingredients separately on a large platter. Serve with the hot mayonnaise (see following recipe), if desired.

DELAWARE BLUE CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• Crush the dill seed, mustard, and cumin in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Pour the spices into a 5 gallon stockpot along with the chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, and parsley. Fill the pot 3/4 full with water, and bring to a rolling boil over an intense flame.
• Add the blue crabs, cover the pot, and boil until all of the shells turn red, and the meat is no longer translucent, about 20 minutes. Stir the crabs occasionally as they boil to ensure even cooking.

CRAB BOIL POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup each corn and chopped celery, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay. Toss with 2 pounds boiled cubed red potatoes and 1 cup crabmeat.

BALTIMORE CRAB BOIL OMELET WITH CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the crab, corn, scallion whites and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the crab are just crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out the skillet.
• Gently smash the potatoes with the heel of your hand so the inside is exposed but they still hold their shape. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat and add the potatoes in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning and 1 tablespoon of the scallion greens. Season with salt. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Beat the eggs, cream, remaining scallion greens and remaining 3/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning, then pour into the hot skillet. Cook by lifting the set egg with a spatula, letting the uncooked egg flow underneath. When the eggs are mostly set but still loose on top, add the crab filling to one side. Gently fold the omelet in half and slide onto a serving plate. Serve with the smashed potatoes.

CRAB-BOIL POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the potatoes (I like mine cut up but you could keep them whole) in a pot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the crab boil.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil then add Tony Chacheres (or salt) and the hot sauce.
• Allow the potatoes to boil until they are fork-tender (5-10 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes and whether you cut them or left them whole).
• Drain the potatoes and allow them to sit for 5 minutes or so.
• You can serve these hot, or allow them to cool (the flavor gets stronger as they cool) and serve them at room temperature.

BLUE CLAW CRAB BOIL WITH 3 SAUCES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 8 crabs, covered, 10 minutes; remove crabs. Repeat. Set aside. For the cocktail sauce: Combine ketchup, wasabi, soy sauce and mustard; add lemon juice and Worcestershire to taste. Serve crab with 3 sauces and limes.

CRAB-BOIL SLIDERS WITH HOMEMADE COLESLAW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the andouille, celery, red onion and Fresno chile and cook until softened and any liquid is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and seafood seasoning. Cook until the garlic is cooked through and the seafood seasoning toasts slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the wine is completely reduced, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
• Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the crabmeat, breadcrumbs and cooled andouille mixture. Toss to combine; the mixture should hold together when you squeeze it. Using a 1/4 cup measure, form the crab mixture into crab cakes using the size of your slider bun as a guide for width. Transfer the formed cakes to a baking sheet. Refrigerate the crab cakes 1 hour.
• In a large saute pan or on a double-burner griddle, toast the slider buns until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Working in batches, cook the crab cakes until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed.
• Serve each crab cake on a toasted slider bun topped with the Coleslaw.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, seafood seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and corn and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

SPICY CRAB BOIL BBQ CHICKEN WITH CAJUN BARBEQUE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, bring 1 gallon of water and 1/4 cup of the green onions to a boil. Add crab boil, mix and reduce heat to a slow boil or simmer. Add all chicken pieces and continue to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the chicken to soak for 5 to 15 minutes.
• Strain water. Place chicken on a large tray. Season with a light coating of garlic powder, to taste, and parsley and rub into meat.
• Place all chicken pieces on grill. Baste chicken with generous portions of sauce, repeat if necessary. Grill until the chicken skin is crispy.
• This dish is delicious if you have a taste for red pepper and something cold to drink nearby. However, if you are not a fan of peppery foods, I would not suggest this dish for your table.