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Seafood Boil Sauce

This buttery, garlicky, spicy seafood boil sauce transforms a pile of shrimp, crab, and corn into a restaurant-quality experience. Made in just 15 minutes with ingredients you probably already have, this sauce balances richness with brightness so the seafood flavor still shines through.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine: Cajun, Southern American
Calories: 215
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sauce Base
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Finishing
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce Louisiana style preferred
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped

Equipment

  • Heavy bottomed saucepan (2 to 3 quart capacity)
  • Wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Sharp knife and cutting board
  • Citrus juicer or reamer
  • Small bowls for prepped ingredients
  • Serving bowl or gravy boat

Method
 

  1. Measure out all the spices into a small bowl: the Old Bay, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Mince the garlic finely and keep it in a separate small bowl near the stove.
  2. Place your saucepan over medium low heat and add the butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces. Let it melt slowly without stirring for the first minute, then gently swirl the pan until completely liquid with no visible solid pieces remaining.
  3. Add all the minced garlic to the melted butter and stir constantly with your wooden spoon. Keep the heat at medium low for 60 to 90 seconds until the garlic turns light golden and smells intensely aromatic.
  4. Pour in the bowl of mixed spices and stir immediately to distribute them throughout the butter. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds as the spices toast in the hot fat until fragrant and the butter takes on a rich orange hue.
  5. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the pan and stir well to combine. Stir until the bubbling subsides and the Worcestershire is fully incorporated, about 15 seconds.
  6. Pour in the hot sauce and stir to combine completely. Taste the sauce now if you want to adjust the heat level.
  7. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let it boil vigorously.
  8. Remove the pan from the heat completely before adding the lemon juice. Pour it in slowly while whisking constantly to emulsify until the sauce looks glossy and cohesive.
  9. Add the chopped fresh parsley and stir gently to distribute it throughout the sauce.
  10. Taste the sauce and adjust the balance of salt, heat, acid, and richness as needed.
  11. Pour the sauce into a warmed serving bowl or divide among individual dipping cups. Serve immediately while the butter is still liquid and glossy.

Notes

Reserve a few tablespoons of the boil cooking liquid and whisk it into the finished sauce for an extra layer of seafood flavor. If your sauce breaks, add an ice cube and whisk furiously to shock the emulsion back together. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.