A delicious and flavorful seafood boil with shrimp, mussels, and kielbasa sausage. This seafood boil is easy to make and is perfect for a small dinner party. All you need is a big pot and some great flavors to have a great summer dinner party.
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Seafood is kinda my weakness. I love it. I don’t eat it that often though, which is probably why I enjoy it so much when I do have it. Mostly I eat it when I visit the Oregon coast and it is always a feast.
The first night we arrive we visit the local fresh seafood spot and load up. Crab, mussels, clams, shrimp, you name it we get it. Put it all in a big pot and make a big batch seafood boil. Grab some white wine, bread, and butter and stuff our faces. It is magical.
Eating seafood knowing it was caught that morning is heaven. It is certainly a summer staple, and I look forward to enjoying that feast every time I plan a beach trip.
Sometimes I want that seafood feast at home though, but it seems like a meal you make for a big party, not a small get together. Not true! They are really easy to make at home, I mean they are made in one pot for crying out loud! Not to mention the clean up is a breeze.
Pour the delicious concoction on some newspaper, pig out and then simply wrap up the paper and throw it away. I was craving seafood real bad a couple of weeks back and a trip to the coast wasn’t an option. Let’s face it though, I can still get seafood that is still pretty dang fresh. So why not make it at home!?
There are different combinations for a seafood boil, crawfish, lobster tail, or shrimp. All stellar choices. Since I didn’t want to break the bank too much (I’ll save the lobster tails for a big party) I chose shrimp, clams, and kielbasa sausage mixed with potatoes, corn, and onion. It slow boils in flavors like lemon, old bay, sea salt, and cracked pepper. The great thing about this recipe is you can add more or less of the ingredients depending on what you like.
With most of my seafood dishes, I have melted garlic butter for dipping but I love to add a spiced mayo as well. It is spiced with cayenne pepper and paprika to give you just a bit more kick to the flavor. It is so good and it the perfect finishing touch to this meal.
Small Batch Seafood Boil
Ingredients
- 10 small potatoes
- 1 12 oz. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
- 2 ears of corn, cut into two inch pieces
- 1 large onion, quartered lengthwise
- 1 pound mussels or clams, scrubbed and cleaned
- 1 pound shrimp, rinsed
- 3 lemons cut in half
- Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
For the Spiced Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Fill an 8 – 10-quart stock pot with a strainer insert about halfway with water. Season water with old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, add the butter, potatoes, garlic, lemon juice from one lemon, and sausage. Reduce heat to medium-high.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Next add the corn, onion, mussels, and shrimp. Cook for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
- Optional: While seafood boil is cooking, lightly grill lemons halves until grill marks appear. Set aside.
- Remove, strain and pour onto a newspaper line table. Place grilled lemons around seafood boil and squeeze over right before eating.
For the Spiced Mayo
- Put mayonnaise into a medium bowl. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, and lemon juice.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- Place on the table with melted garlic butter.
Looks delicious! Tyler and Kay working together as a team?❤️
Thanks, Karen!
What wine do you recommend with this?
I am fairly new to the wine scene so I am still learning the best pairings, but I like a chardonnay with a citrusy flavor. The wine I used was Crow Canyon Chardonnay. The price point was really good and has great flavor. I also like a sauvignon blanc because it pairs well with garlic.