Description
This Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce is a flavorful and festive feast featuring an assortment of fresh seafood, spicy andouille sausage, corn, and baby red potatoes, all boiled together with aromatic Cajun and Old Bay seasonings. Finished with a rich, garlicky butter sauce infused with lemon and fresh parsley, this dish is perfect for gatherings and seafood lovers seeking a hearty, zesty main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Boil Ingredients
- 1 pound snow crab legs
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tails on)
- 1 pound mussels or clams, cleaned
- 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
- 4 ears corn, halved
- 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
- 1 lemon, halved
- 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare and boil the base ingredients: Fill a large stockpot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt, the lemon halves, Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and baby red potatoes. Boil this mixture for 10–12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add corn and sausage: To the boiling pot, add the halved ears of corn and sliced andouille sausage. Continue boiling for an additional 5–7 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and for the corn and sausage to heat through.
- Add seafood to the boil: Finally, add the snow crab legs, peeled shrimp (leaving tails on), and cleaned mussels or clams to the pot. Boil for 4–5 minutes more until the seafood is fully cooked and the mussels/clams have opened. Discard any mussels or clams that do not open.
- Drain and transfer: Carefully drain the entire seafood boil mixture and transfer it to a large serving tray or a table lined with butcher paper for communal eating.
- Prepare the garlic butter sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the Cajun seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), lemon juice, and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well and keep warm.
- Serve: Pour the hot garlic butter sauce over the seafood boil either on the tray or serve alongside as a dipping sauce. Garnish with extra lemon wedges and fresh parsley as desired.
Notes
- Serve with extra lemon wedges and crusty bread to soak up the flavorful garlic butter sauce.
- Customize your boil by adding other shellfish like lobster or crawfish if desired.
- Adjust the spice levels by modifying the amount of Cajun seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes to suit your taste.
