HOT CAJUN-STYLE CRAB BOIL

Hot Cajun-Style Crab Boil image

A trip to Avery Island, La., the home of Tabasco sauce, inspired this Jacques Pépin recipe from 1994. A few years earlier, Paul McIlhenny, the fourth generation of his family to produce the hot sauce, served Mr. Pépin and his wife a bountiful crab boil. " People helped themselves," Mr. Pépin wrote, adding, "We washed the banquet down with plenty of cold beer." Here, he substitutes blue crab for crawfish, and kielbasa for the hot Cajun sausage. But whatever you use, keep Mr. Pépin's recommendation and have a beer alongside.

Provided by Jacques Pepin

Categories dinner, one pot, main course

Time 1h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

2 bags (3 ounces each) commercial crab-boil seasoning, or equivalent amount of your own spice mixture (see article)
Salt, to taste
2 pounds medium onions (about 8), peeled
3 pounds small potatoes (about 24), washed but not peeled
24 live medium blue crabs
2 pounds kielbasa, cut into 3-inch pieces
35 to 40 cloves garlic (3 heads), unpeeled
12 ears sweet corn, hulled

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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1075, UnsaturatedFat 27 grams, Carbohydrate 123 grams, Fat 48 grams, Fiber 15 grams, Protein 51 grams, SaturatedFat 16 grams, Sodium 2024 milligrams, Sugar 24 grams, TransFat 1 gram