Ok, next week, I told my GF, roommates, brother and sister-in-law that I would do a shrimp and crawfish boil. I’ve done it before, and have consumed said boil many a times.
But here’s my problem. I live in Indiana.
I can get the shrimp. I can get the crawfish (not really fresh, but it will have to do). I can get the corn. I can get the red bliss potatoes.
I can also get Zatarain’s (sp) crab boil. But I know this isn’t the best stuff to use. WHAT IS? The stuff I’ve seen used before comes in a plastic bag, is quite powdery, and good and spicy. Zatarain’s is a little too peppercorn-y.
Can I just dump in a bunch of Tony Chachere’s? What do I need by way of spices?
Chachere’s is awfully salty. If you don’t like Zatarain’s by itself, you could try mixing the two, or adding straight cayenne until your eardrums sweat. Or you could make your own, and modify it however you like it. Here’s a basic recipe:
4 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole allspice
2 tablespoons dill seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
8 bay leaves
Salt and cayenne pepper (or liquid hot sauce) to taste
Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly. Place in a square of muslin or cheesecloth and tie securely with string, like a large sachet d'épices. Add salt and
cayenne or hot sauce to taste.
When water for seafood is boiling, add the bag and boil for several minutes, until the boiling liquid is tinted and seasoned, then add shellfish and cook
until done, depending on what you're using.
Yield: Enough crab boil seasoning for 5 pounds of seafood.
Now, when I was down in Mississippi and New Orleans for crawfish, it always had this wonderful gritty residue, very spicy. What is that? And where can I get it?
Old Bay. I don’t know who makes it, but its the only thing I use when boiling shrimp (which I did last night, YUM) along with beer and a little vinegar.
Old Bay, absolutely. When a friend had his annual Crab Feast here in CA, he would ship the crabs in from Maryland and use lots of Old Bay. Pretty sure you can find it most everywhere now.
I’ll probably do a combination of the above. I’ve got the Chachere’s (which you can get in the low salt variety), and the Old Bay. All I need is the 20 pounds of shrimp and crawfish…
