Crab Boil

Rev 0.12; last revised:  13-Jul-07

One of my favorite crab/seafood boil solutions is made by a company called, "Zatarain's" (pronounced ZAT-uh-rans).  It's a packet of spices packaged in such a way that you just throw the "baggie" into the water in which you're boiling your seafood.  Trust me, it makes a wonderful tasting brew.

Unfortunately, I all too often find myself needing to use some...but am unable to find it.  So, I tasted their elixir and over time made my own.

This amount of "boil" works well for about 4-5 pounds of most any kind of shellfish.

Ingredients:

• 4-Tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• 3-Tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2-Tablespoons whole allspice
• 2-Tablespoons dill seeds
• 1-Teaspoons whole cloves
• 1-Tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 8-Bay leaves
• 3-Tablespoons Salt
• 1-Tablespoon cayenne pepper (or liquid hot sauce) to taste
• 1-lemon, seeded & halved or quartered, and 'hand-crushed' into the water
• OPTIONAL:  piece of fresh ginger, dash of mace, and/or cardamom pod
• OPTIONAL:  adding a couple of Tablespoons of vinegar to the water will make crabs easier to peel

Combine dry ingredients.  Place in a square of muslin or cheesecloth and tie securely with string, like a large sachet d'épices.

Add the salt, cayenne (or hot sauce), and lemon directly to the water to taste.  Bring to a boil.

When water is boiling, add the bag and boil for several minutes, until the boiling liquid is tinted and seasoned.  Add vegetables and/or shellfish and cook until done, depending on what you're using.

Boil crabs or crab-legs vigorously for 5-minutes, crawfish for 2-minutes, and shrimp for 1-minute.  Turn heat off and allow seafood to remain in water for 15 to 20 minutes after boiling.

Peel and eat!  Enjoy!