Seafood Boil

Line your picnic table with craft paper and put out plenty of napkins for this classic seafood boil using Dungeness crab, wild Alaskan spot shrimp, and Louisiana Gulf shrimp. Serve with melted butter for finger licking goodness. See Pro Tips for ingredient alternatives.

• 1 pound spot shrimp, thawed and unpeeled 
• 1 pound Louisiana white shrimp, thawed and unpeeled
• One 12-ounce can beer, such as IPA
• ½ cup seafood boil seasoning, such as Old Bay Seasoning
• 4 lemons, halved crosswise
• 8 unpeeled garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 pounds small red new potatoes, halved
• 1½ pounds smoked sausage, such as kielbasa or andouille, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise
• 2 to 2½ pounds Dungeness crab clusters, thawed 
• 5 ounces butter, melted

To make the shrimp easier to eat, use kitchen scissors to cut along the top of the shells from end to end. Leave the shells on, but remove the digestive tract if desired.

Fill a very large pot with 6 quarts water, then add the beer, seafood boil seasoning, lemons, garlic cloves, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the potatoes and sausage and cook until the potatoes are nearly cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the corn and Dungeness crab clusters and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spot shrimp and Gulf shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Drain well, then transfer to a large platter or a table lined with paper. Serve with melted butter and the lemon halves for squeezing.

Pour an icy-cold, light and crisp beer like IPA or white ale.

Turn leftover potatoes, corn, and seafood into a luscious next-day salad. Pick the crab and shrimp, cut the corn kernels from the cob and cut the potatoes and sausages into bite-sized pieces. Then add some mayonnaise, grainy mustard, chopped celery, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

For a simple chowder, add the picked seafood, diced potatoes and sausages, and corn kernels to a pot with seafood stock and a hit of cream.

Add a small handful of dried chiles or sliced fresh jalapeños along with the lemon and garlic for a bit of heat.

In place of  Dungeness crab, use Bairdi crab or 4 thawed lobster tails. Use a sharp knife to cut each lobster tail cross-wise in half. If spot shrimp are not available, use sidestripe shrimp or double up on the gulf shrimp.