Crab Boil & Fish Seasoning (American)

Categories    : Mixes and Spices

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      tsp           black peppercorns
   1      tsp           mustard seeds
   1      tsp           dill seeds
   1      tsp           coriander seeds
   1      tsp           cloves
   1      tsp           allspice berries
                        a small piece of dried ginger
   3                    dried bay leaves

Tie the spices in a muslin bag and add to the water for boiling the 
crab.

Crab boil is popular along the southeast coast of the United States,  
particularly in Louisiana. A similar blend, where the spices are 
ground, is 
used to spice fish. 

Source: Jill Norman "The Complete Book of Spices"   Viking Studio
Books, 1991  
   ISBN 0-670-83437-8

`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CRAB-BOIL SPICES

        Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

        From Maryland to Georgia, crabs are a prized part of the
        African-American diet. If the crabs need to be boiled before
        other steps in preparation (as are the pickled shrimp above), a
        commercial crab boil such as Old Bay seasoning is often used.
        For the lucky few, though, there's homemade crab boil, an
        all-purpose seasoning that, besides for shrimp and crab, can
also
        be used for crawfish. 

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

        In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until
        mixture forms a coarse powder. Crab-boil spices keep in a
        well-sealed container for several months in a cool, dark place. 

        Makes about 1 cup.
          
        Gourmet
        February 1995
        Jessica B. Harris 

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Old Bay Seasoning

This salt-free version is from Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant. 

    1 tablespoon celery seeds
    1 tablespoon black peppercorns
    6 bay leaves
    1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom
    1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
    4 whole cloves
    1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
    1/4 teaspoon ground mace

    In a spice grinder or small food processor, combine all of the
ingredients. Grind well and store in a small glass jar. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crab Boil Spices
 Yields: 1 cup

 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 seeds
 1 tablespoon minced dried chives
 2 teaspoons ground ginger
 2 teaspoons dried oregano
 5 bay leaves

 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.  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. For lobster or crab, use 1 part
 distilled white wine to 3 parts water. Add the seafood and cook
 for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove the seafood
 and serve or chill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the crab boil recipe from Emeril's "Louisiana Real and Rustic"

1/4  C Mustard seeds
3     T Coriander seeds
2     T Whole Allspice
2     T Dillseeds
1     t Whole Cloves
6     Small dried Red Chiles, crumbled or 1 T crushed red pepper
8     Bay Leaves

Place the mixture in a square of cheesecloth and tie up the corners.  He
figures this recipe is enough for a gallon of water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This one is from Rima and Richard Collin's "The New Orleans Cookbook"

1   t Allspice
10  Whole Cloves
1   t Dried Thyme
5 Whole Bay Leaves
1 t  Celery Seed
1/2  t  Dry Mustard
1-1/2 T ground Black Pepper

This is also meant for a gallon of water.

Hope all of that helps.  It is interesting to see different cooks take on
the same recipe.  Last night was our seafood night- fresh Dungeness crab.
Tonight will be simpler fare- smoked bratwurst and sauerkraut cooked with
juniper berries and shredded  potatoes.

Happy Holidays to everyone on the Porch!  Stay warm, the pictures I've been
seeing on this list have sent chills down my warm little California spine...

Dan

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Mine say this for the liquid version:

1.water
2. polysorbate 80
3. benzyl
4. alcohol
5. oleoresin capsicum
6. essential oils of clove, black pepper, thyme,
    marjoram and artificial spice flavors.

First 4 you could ditch cause doubt they add much if any flavor. #5 is the
same hot stuff cops carry for pepper spray so guess you could borrow a
squirt of it from a nice cop..or sub some cayenne for heat.

I would build a homemade version something like this:

1 T. black pepper
1 t. cayenne pepper or hab powder
1 t. ground thyme
1 t. ground marjoram
1/4 t. ground cloves (a little goes a long way)
3 or 4 crumbled up bay leaves
1 t. mustard seeds (think I seen these in the dry version)

hope this gives you some ideas,

bigwheel



