A seafood boil demands little in the way of cooking techniques. Instead, it comes to life through the seasoning of the sauce. Don’t hold back on the chili peppers and seafood seasoning to ensure your ingredients absorb maximum flavor.
Some chefs will use other flavorings, such as Cajun seafood boil seasoning, and even beer, to pack in as much flavor as possible. If you’d prefer not to use beer, you could swap in chicken stock, if you want to add more depth to your boil.
Andouille sausage is commonly found in Cajun cuisine, and is lightly smoky, making it the best choice for a seafood boil. If you can’t find this in your local grocery store though, you can swap in your usual preferred sausage, which will still bring desirable contrasting meaty notes to the boil. Another Cajun sausage variety, known as the Boudin sausage, is a natural alternative for the Andouille too.
Alongside the boil, some chefs will opt to make a Cajun seafood boil sauce to pour over the top of the dish when served. A creamy, butter garlic sauce works well for this and helps to enhance the flavors of the seafood in the boil.
And, if you want to serve a full seafood feast, you can find all the seafood appetizer inspiration you need in our guide. From an elegant tuna carpaccio to mini crab cakes, you can host an entire seafood extravaganza from your kitchen at home.
Seafood and Vegetable Variations
You don’t have to stick to the recipe we’ve shared above when it comes to the exact seafood ingredients. Classically you’ll find shrimp and crab in a Southern seafood boil, but there’s no reason to stop there.
Other additions, such as clams, lobster tails, and mussels work perfectly in this recipe and bring more variety to the pot. If you do decide to introduce other seafood to the recipe, take care to check how long they need to be cooked, as the ingredients will cook at different rates.
Potatoes and onions are the go-to vegetables to include in a seafood boil. Red potatoes are preferred for this dish, but Yukon Gold varieties will add a welcome buttery depth to the boil. Onions are a key ingredient in a seafood boil contributing both a sweetness to the dish and aromatic notes.
How to Serve it Family-Style
Traditionally, a Cajun boil would be served on a newspaper-lined table for everyone to dig in together and enjoy. If you choose to pour a sauce over the top upon serving the boil, however, you may find this soaks into the newspaper. For a more refined family-style serving option, serve the boil on seafood platters and place on top of the newspaper for a nod to the traditional serving style.
