Vietnamese Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe
Get a spicy Viet-Cajun seafood boil right in your backyard! The Viet-Cajun seafood boil includes fresh manilla clams and shrimp as well as king crab leg, all tossed in delicious homemade Cajun spiced butter sauce that's delicious to lick.
Ingredients
STOCKPOT BROTH
- 3 stalks of lemongrass cut into 4 inch pieces , then put into a pounder.
- 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
- 3 inches of ginger 50 grams, peeled and cut into thick pieces
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 14 Cup Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 tablespoon salt
SEAFOOD & VEGETABLES
- 2 lbs manilla , or littleneck clams washed and scrubbed
- 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp washed
- 1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes cut in half
- Six King Crab Legs frozen (thawed) or fresh
- 4 andouille sausages cut into pieces of 1-2 inches
- Four ears of corn cut in half
SEAFOOD BOIL SAUCE
- 1 Cup 2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup garlic 2 heads, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 14 Cup Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- 1 cup cayenne pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Clean the fish. Rinse the shrimp and crab legs. The clams should be scrubbed and soaked in salted cold water for 30 minutes , then rinse them until the water clears. Set aside.
- Create your broth. In a large stockpot, fill it about halfway (about one gallon) with water. Include the garlic, lemongrass ginger, fish sauce old bay, lemon and salt. Bring to a boil on high temperatures. Then lower the heat to medium-low , and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Include the fish and the vegetables. Add the potatoes and bring back to a mild simmer. Cover and cook at medium-high for 15 mins. After 15 minutes adding the sausage and clams. Cover the pot, and simmer at medium-high temperature for 5 minutes. Then, add the shrimp, crab legs and corn. Cover the pot and allow the dish to sit on low heat until shrimp and clams have cooked for about 3-5 mins. It is done when shrimp turn red and the clams break. With a colander, remove the seafood, then discard the water. Remove the lemongrass and lemons, ginger and garlic. Set aside.
- Prepare the garlic butter sauce. In a small mixing bowl combine Old bay, the paprika black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sugar until well-combined. In a large pan at medium-low temperature, add the garlic and butter. Cook the garlic until it is fragrant. Add the spice blend, juice of a lemon, and Louisiana hot sauce. Stir until combined. Switch off the heat and put aside.
- Mix everything together. Transfer the seafood and the vegetables into an enormous mixing bowl and mix the seafood in the butter sauce until it evenly coating the seafood. Serve with the salt and pepper.
Notes
- Fresh Shrimp Storage Store the freshly caught shrimp inside the coldest area of the refrigerator . Cook it within a couple of days of purchasing. The best method of storing shrimp is to place them on a layer of ice, then cover them with a moist paper towel. Simply, let the shrimp breathe, but avoid wrapping it in a bag that is airtight. Don't freeze fresh shrimp as it could alter the texture of the shrimp.
- raw clams storage: place the clams onto a platter or tray with a single layer, covered with a damp towel or a paper towel. The clams must be cooked within a couple of days of purchasing. Don't store clams in a covered container with plastic. The clams must have an ocean scent and closed shells. Give any clams with open shells the tap and they'll close. If they don't , throw them away.
- Scrubbing the clams prior to cooking, scrub the clams with a tough-bristled brush. Let them soak in salted and cold water for 30 to 45 minutes to remove any excess sand. Then rinse them.
- King crab legs that have been frozen should be kept within the freezer up to when the time you want to cook them. The crab legs must be defrosted legs prior to adding them to the pan.
- You can choose any kind of seafood you want! This is YOUR seafood boil. Make sure to use whatever seafood makes you most happy.
- You can modify the spice by adding more or less cayenne or Louisiana hot sauce. I'm usually an uninitiated spice fan and tend to stay towards the lighter part of the spectrum.
- Store Instructions It is recommended that this seafood boil be consumed immediately. It is possible to keep the vegetables and seafood within an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. For reheating, simply heat using the microwa