Entertaining
Try a classic seafood boil for the perfect beach vacation meal! You’ll want to add this recipe toyour summer vacation meal plan at the beach!
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING gets me more excited for a trip to the beach than a promise of a seafood boil. For me, it is the essence of summer.
Trust me: after spending the day jumping waves, building sandcastles, and walking the beach, cooking up a big ol’ pot of seafood with all the classic fixins is just about the best thing in the whole-wide-world.
It’s been a beach-week tradition for years now for my family, but this is the first year I’ve documented it. So that I might pass this tradition on to y’all.
There are a few critical pieces of the seafood boil that if you plan to execute on your beach vacation you need to do a little prep for. The most important piece, however, is the pot. You need a BIG pot, and preferably one with a large insert so you can easily drain the pot for easy dumping (more on that later).
We usually rent a house for the week, so I’ve been sure to call the owners to ask whether or not they have a large seafood boil pot.
Or, you can get one hereon Amazon. That’sthe one my dad purchased this year so that we may never be without a seafood boil pot. Phew.
The second and almost as critical pieces of the puzzle is to find a fresh local seafood market in the area of your stay. (If you happen to stay in Emerald Isle, check out Willis Seafood Market. It’s been thoroughly vetted by my family!)
We always get lots and lots of shrimp and clams, and then we mix it up with whatever the group is craving or is recommended. This time we went with King Crab legs, although that was a bit of a splurge.
You’ll also want to pick up some of the other things that make the seafood boil awesome: fresh summer corn, red-skin potatoes, smoked sausage, Old Bay, butter, co*cktail sauce and hot sauce. Oh and something to break the crab legs with. (Or for hitting your hubs on the head if necessary!)
My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
You’ll want to ask specific instructions for prepping the seafood, and then it’s all pretty easy from there. You’ll begin with the items that take longest to cook, adding additional layers of seasoning and foods in 5-10 minute intervals.
Once it’s all done, you’ll drain the pot (which is made super-easy with an insert), then dump it out on a table (preferably of the outdoor) variety. Even better if you can see the ocean from it. Be sure to have a cold one and some paper towels nearby.
Dinner at the beach has never looked so good.
Oh, and if you’ve planned it right, you’ll have leftovers. You might not believe it, but the leftovers from a seafood boil make a really good pizza!
I’ve got one with BBQ sauce, corn, and shrimp.
The other was made with tomato sauce and sausage. Both were divine! And awesome for beach day lunch.Classic Seafood Boil Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
About Katie
Katie Harding has been blogging since 2010. What originally started out as a platform to discuss new parenthood, her blogging now focuses on her passion for cooking: creating recipes and sharing tips for entertaining friends and family of all ages. Outside of the kitchen you’ll find her with her family (three boys, one husband, multiple exchange student daughters, and Hank the pup), or gallivanting around the world with her fork in tow.
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