Crab Boil Spices

Submitted by Candie Yoder

• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 1 cup

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup pickling spices
• 1⁄4 cup sea salt
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon dried chives, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, ground
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 5 bay leaves

directions

1. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulsing, process until the mixture forms a coarse powder.
2. For cooking shrimp, add 1/4 cup of the spices, along with 2 teaspoons salt, to a large saucepan of boiling water or half water and half beer.
3. For lobster or crab, use 1 part distilled white wine to 3 parts water.
4. Add the seafood and cook for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through.
5. Remove the seafood and serve or chill.

Reviews

[Catfish Jimmy]

Here's what worked for me and what didn't. FIrst, I love Old Bay and was looking for close to a copycat with this recipe. It isn't close. A little too much ginger flavor for me. I'll probably pull it out the next time I make it in favor of paprika. I also as suggested by other's halved the salt. And that worked for me when I put it in the gumbo. Soups tradtionally have tons of sodium, so the folks that are panicking about the salt can use less if they want. But I do like this spice recipe, a nice flavor, and you can really tell the freshness of it being newly made. I would say this is more of a cajun spice than a creole spice. I'll try 1 TBS of this recipe with 1/2 Cup of corn meal and 1/2 cup of flour when I do catfish next time. The recipe makes about an equivelent to a can of Old Bay. I did give it 5 stars so you know I won't throw it out. The gumbo I put this recipe in is really good just not what I'm used to. Thanks, Candie.

 

[bullydog1975]

I would imagine that it's supposed to be "coarse sea salt" wich would dramatically reduce the sodium content. Try it that way. I'm sure you'll be happier.

 

[Queen of Everything]

This was so much better than Old Bay or some other packaged seasoning mix. As for the poster objecting to the health implications.....ummm I don't think you will eat the seasoning with a spoon....you BOIL your seafood in it. Most of the salt goes down the drain with the water when you clean up. Too funny.

 

[FOODISGOOD]

Hey Chef #711528 why not submit a crab boil recipe with less salt or better yet cut back on the sea salt in this recipe. I found this crab boil to taste much better than any pre packaged crab boil which is loaded with salt!!! Thanks Candie for submiting your homemade Crab Boil! I have used it twice now!

 

[urveley]

with the amount of sodium (salt)included, it is simply not worth the health risk. 10 times the daily amount of sodium? This is definitely a recipe to avoid in the interest of health.