I’m one of those people who absolutely cannot get away with acting Southern. Or Texan. Or even as a legitimate user of Cajun seasoning in any non-tourist capacity. But so help me, I loved Texas Boil before the first bite even passed my lips – the stovetop aroma alone was a sneeze-inducing spice fest of deliciousness – and vowed to learn how to make it myself.
Several months ago I was visiting my boyfriend in Texas, working on a constant and vigorous stomach-stretching routine in order to accommodate night after night of his dad’s magnificent home cooking. The man is an absolute master; after every delectable dish set before me I found myself scribbling down notes and snooping for recipes, so anxious was I to possess the secrets of his culinary prowess. Some of these were exotic, others eccentric — but when it came to Texas boil, he assured me, everything’s actually just really, really easy.
Rule number one? Get some crab boil seasoning, preferably Old Bay. Oh, and a really, really big stockpot. So that’s two rules; otherwise, everything else can be adjusted to suit your given season, locale and preference. (Of course, that being said, you’d be crazy not to save up your pennies, scour the local markets for some king crab legs, and make it this way. There’s no reason to mess with a combo that works, right? So…rule number three? Get some crab).
Before you get all gung-ho and start boiling things, I’d also recommend that you get your hands on some Texas beer — because if there was ever such a thing as a beer meal, this is IT. Seriously, don’t even think about wine. Instead, look for Shiner Bock (a tasty, full-bodied yet surprisingly refreshing brew out of Spoetzl brewery in Shiner, Texas) or, if you happen upon a larger selection from the Lone Stare state, treat yourself to St. Arnold’s Amber (strong flavor + STRONG alcohol = a festive cooking experience) or Real Ale’s Fireman #4 (a tangy and scrumptious blonde).
Ok. So now you have your beer. You have your crab. You know the rules. Now you’re ready to make a massive pot of classic Texas goodness.
Ingredients:
1 bag crab boil bag seasoning (Old Bay if possible)
3 ears fresh corn
3-4 small red potatoes, quartered (or 10 baby or butter potatoes, halved)
3 links fully cooked smoked sausage (preferably spicy or Cajun style)
King crab or snow crab legs (1 per person of the king, 2 each of the snow)
1 lb. large raw shrimp, peel on
Cayenne pepper
1 lemon, quartered
Sea salt
Fill a large stock pot with about 8 cups of water. Add salt and bring to a boil. While the pot heats up, shuck and wash corn, wash and quarter potatoes, and rinse crab. Break the corn into approximately quarter-size chunks.
Add the crab boil seasoning bag, sea salt, and quartered lemon to the hot water. When it’s at a good steady boil, add corn, potatoes and crab to the pot. Cover (vented) and boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the sausage into chunks and rinse the shrimp.
After 20 minutes, add shrimp and sausage to the mixture. (Now is the time to add any other quick-cooking vegetables if you insist upon it, like okra or bell peppers or zucchini or something). Cook for an additional 2 minutes (the shrimp should be pink and floating at the top of the pot). Remove from heat.
Place a large colander in the sink and dump out the entire contents of the pot, being careful of the hot water and steam as you drain all the liquid from the mixture. Remove lemon pieces and seasoning bag.
Finally, put it all in a big-ass bowl; stick the bowl on the table; get your wet naps and melted butter (for dipping crab, yum yum) and Shiner Bock; tuck in and enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget a bowl for the shells/skins/cobs/etc.; when you are all finished eating, it should look like this:
Well done. Now you’re ready to break out the watermelon, get horizontal, and recover for awhile.
by Lauren Westerfield
