The Boil Method | Schnucks

The Boil Method

ARTICLES, TIPS & HOW-TO'S, Seafood

Big food doesn’t have to be a big endeavor. While seafood boils make for a show-stopping celebration, they’re also easy enough for a fun family dinner.

The Boil Method

BIG FOOD DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A BIG ENDEAVOR. WHILE SEAFOOD BOILS MAKE FOR A SHOW-STOPPING CELEBRATION, THEY’RE ALSO EASY ENOUGH FOR A FUN FAMILY DINNER.

CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS

A traditional seafood boil consists of sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob and two different kinds of shellfish. However, yours can include as few or as many ingredients as you prefer. Create your own recipe or choose from our flavors:
Midwest
Clams, mussels, shrimp, bratwurst, red skin potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, Greek seasoning
East Coast
Lobster, clams, cod, Italian sausage, baby yellow potatoes, corn on the cob, asparagus, seafood seasoning (like Old Bay)
Low Country
Crab, shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, cubed sweet potato, corn on the cob, bell pepper, Louisiana-style crawfish, shrimp and crab boil seasoning (like Zatarain’s)

BUILD A BROTH

Add water to a large pot (lined with a perforated insert if available) until it’s three-quarters full then bring to a boil. Next, add a good amount of salt and seafood seasoning—about 2 tablespoons of each per quart of water.

You can stop there or keep building for even more flavor! Try adding a bottle of beer or white wine. Squeeze some citrus then toss the remaining fruit into the pot. Onions, garlic, chili peppers, carrots and/or celery help to balance the citrus—just be sure to give them a couple chops first. Bay leaves, sprigs of fresh herbs and extra spices can also be used. Once you’ve added all of your broth ingredients, let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes.

COOK & SERVE

Set a timer for 20 minutes and add your potatoes to the pot. Using the build-your-own boil instructions below, continue to add ingredients as the timer reaches their cook times, covering the pot between each addition.

When finished cooking, potatoes and vegetables should be tender, fish and meat should be cooked through, crustaceans (lobster, crabs, shrimp, etc.) should be red/pink and clams and mussels should have opened up.

Drain mixture and serve on a newspaper-lined table (or a sheet pan for smaller boils) with lemon wedges, cold beer and plenty of dipping sauces—like melted butter, hot sauce or some of our kicked-up condiments.

Build-Your-Own Boil

Start by choosing your potatoes, four proteins and two veggies. With just a little prep, dinner will be ready in 20 minutes or less!

Potatoes
Seafood
Sausage
Vegetables

Potatoes

Whole small potatoes
or cubed large potatoes >

  • 15–20 minutes
  • ½ lb. per person

Seafood

Whole lobster >

  • 10–15 minutes
  • ½–1 per person

Clams (scrubbed) >

  • 8–12 minutes
  • 4–6 per person

Blue Crab >

  • 8–10 minutes
  • 2–3 per person

Crawfish >

  • 8–10 minutes
  • 4–6 per person

Cod Fillet >

  • 8–10 minutes
  • ½–1 per person

Lobster Tail >

  • 5–10 minutes
  • 1–2 per person

Mussels (scrubbed) >

  • 4–5 minutes
  • 4–6 per person

Crab Legs >

  • 3–5 minutes
  • 2–4 per person

Jumbo Shrimp >

  • 3–4 minutes
  • 4–6 per person

Sausage

Andouille, Bratwurst, Chorizo, Italian, Kielbasa (pre-cooked) >

  • 8–12 minutes
  • 1 link or ¼ lb. per person

Vegetables

Corn on the Cob (shucked) >

  • 7–10 minutes
  • ½–1 per person

Asparagus >

  • 5–7 minutes
  • ¼ lb. per person

Bell Pepper Slices >

  • 5–7 minutes
  • ½–1 pepper per person

Broccoli Florets >

  • 5–7 minutes
  • ¼ lb. per person

Green Beans >

  • 5–7 minutes
  • ¼ lb. per person

Whole White Mushrooms >

  • 5–7 minutes
  • ¼ lb. per person

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