Food Recipes Dinner Cajun Seafood Boil 4.4 (8) 7 Reviews Shrimp, king crab legs, clams, sausage, potatoes, and corn cook together in a pot and are served with a Cajun-spiced butter sauce. By Liz Mervosh Liz Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. She creates and fine-tunes recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and EatingWell. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 6 The secret of how to make a seafood boil packed with perfectly cooked shrimp, king crab legs, and clams? Take it one step at a time. First, simmer a flavor-packed mixture of lemons, Cajun seasoning, onions, garlic, and chiles with small new potatoes to give them a head start. Then add your clams and gently spicy andouille sausage and simmer a few minutes more. Finally, toss in the faster-cooking shrimp and king crab legs, along with frozen corn on the cob (freezing the corn cools down the boil without diluting it the way ice would). A warm bowl of butter sauce spiked with more Cajun seasoning makes the perfect dipping partner for every delicious bite. Ingredients Seafood Boil 4 ears fresh yellow corn, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces 6 quarts water 4 large lemons, halved crosswise 2 large red onions, halved lengthwise 3 medium jalapeño chiles, halved lengthwise and unseeded (optional) 1/2 cup Cajun seasoning 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or to taste) 2 large garlic heads, halved crosswise 4 fresh or dried bay leaves 1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved 2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces 6 frozen king crab legs (about 2 pounds total), thawed 1 1/2 pounds jumbo unpeeled, deveined raw shrimp, tail on Cajun Butter Sauce 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon) 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal) 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Cayenne pepper (optional) Directions Diana Chistruga Gather the ingredients. Diana Chistruga Place corn in a single layer on a large plate; freeze until ready to use, about 1 hour. Diana Chistruga Meanwhile, add water to a large (16-quart) stockpot. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into water, removing and discarding seeds; add squeezed lemon halves, onions, jalapeños (if using), Cajun seasoning, salt, cayenne, garlic heads, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil over high. Diana Chistruga Add potatoes. Cover pot and return to a gentle boil over high. Uncover and boil, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Diana Chistruga Add clams and sausage. Cover pot and return to a gentle boil over high. Uncover and boil, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Diana Chistruga Add crab legs, shrimp, and frozen corn to stockpot, using tongs to incorporate them into the broth. Cover pot and let mixture stand, undisturbed, 15 minutes. Diana Chistruga Meanwhile, make the Cajun Butter Sauce: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Reduce heat to low; gradually add butter pieces, whisking until mixture is emulsified and thickened (do not let sauce boil). Diana Chistruga Remove from heat; stir in parsley, Cajun seasoning, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and optional cayenne and transfer to a sauceboat or small serving bowl. Diana Chistruga Working in batches, drain seafood boil in a colander, using tongs to help transfer ingredients to colander and then to a serving platter. Serve seafood boil alongside warmed Cajun Butter Sauce. Diana Chistruga Rate It Print