End-of-summer seafood boils are beloved traditions in many coastal towns, including places in Connecticut. The scene is set with long paper-covered tables for dining in a rowdy communal style. Amid a cozy crowd, make a toast to bid adieu to summer while
enjoying a memorably fun time that’s even pretty much hassle-free for the cooks! All you need to know about how to prepare your own end-of-summer seafood boil follows, including where to go for the star of the dish
Basic Supplies for a Seafood Boil
Besides the covered tables and seating for eating, a few other things are essential for your summer seafood boil. As needed, a wooden mallet to facilitate eating lobster and crab meat should be within easy reach of each attendee.
Old Bay seasoning is an absolute must in many regions and should be mentioned. Shucked ears of corn, small red potatoes, and smoked sausage are also standard fare at these traditional end-of-summer seafood boils. The easy cooking is accomplished with a one-pot recipe such as those found in the recipe links below, but make sure the pot is large enough!
The typical seafood boil pot holds 44 quarts. If 10 or fewer people are at the gathering, a 24-quart pot may be large enough.
What to Stock in Your Seafood Boil Pot
There are many varieties of summer seafood boil components. As an example, the following ingredients made up the main ingredients in one enjoyable summer seafood boil that was well attended and seemed to be enjoyed by all:
- Clams
- Jumbo shrimp
- Mussels
- Andouille sausage
- Corn
- Small potatoes
- Old Bay seasoning, of course
- Onions
- Garlic
- Seaweed
Other main seafood ingredients besides jumbo shrimp, mussels, and clams at typical summer seafood boils include crawfish, lobster, and crab legs. Zatarain’s out of New Orleans, Louisiana, is an alternative spice to Old Bay. Zatarain’s even has a product called “Crawfish, Shrimp, & Crab Boil in Bag” to make cooking even easier at an end-of-summer seafood boil.
A Few Insights about Cooking at Seafood Boils
- The water in your seafood boil pot needs to be salty like the sea.
- The must-have spuds for seafood boils are small, waxy potatoes.
- The two preferred varieties of smoked sausage for seafood boils are andouille (the classic choice) and kielbasa.
- The sausage used in a seafood boil does not have to be smoked but it must be pre-cooked.
- The potatoes take the longest to cook and go into the pot first. Cook until a knife finds little resistance before adding corn cobs and sausage.
- Shellfish are the last to go into the pot.
- Once all is cooked, drain out the liquid and dump the boiled contents before the diners. Supply a bottle of hot sauce, lemon wedges, and Old Bay.
