Cajun Boil

When I was in Houston on a business trip, a friend of mine brought me to a very cool asian-cajun restaurant (Wild Cajun).  There I was introduced to the “Cajun Boil”.  Enjoying Cajun Crawfish, crab, jumbo shrimp; I fell in love with the flavours and aromas of this style of cooking.  Once I got home, I was craving Cajun Crawfish Boil, thus set out to create my own version.

Ingredients: 1 Pound of your favourite shell fish (CrawFish, Shrimp, crab) 14 Cups of water 7 Tsp Boil Spices (homemade, zatarains crab boil, old bay seasoning, mccormick bayou cajun seasoning) 2 medium Onions, quartered 1 Lemons, halved 4 Tbsp of Minced Garlic (or one full head) 4 Tbsp of Table Salt 6 – 8 small Red Potatoes, quartered 3 ears of Corn, shucked and halved 6 – 8 smoked Sausages, halved (andouille sausage) 4 Green Onions, chopped in large chunks 1 cup of whole mushrooms (optional)

Homemade Boil Spice: 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, ground up 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, ground up 2 tablespoons whole cloves, ground up 1 1/2 tablespoons whole allspice, ground up 4 tablespoons cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon dried dill weed 6 bay leaves, crumbled

Directions:

1. Cut onions, lemons, garlic, and corn.  Add to large pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients except green onions (added at end) and shell fish.
3. Bring to boil, reduce heat (slow roll)  and cook vegetables until 3/4 cooked (10-15 minutes).
4. Wash Shell Fish with fresh wage a few times, add to pot and cook for 5-15 minutes (cook time varies based on size of shell fish), or until shell fish is fully cooked.
5. Add Green onions full for 2 more minutes.
6. Drain well and place in medium sized bowl, serve immediately.
7. Enjoy while eating with your hands, and a bowl on the table for the waste shell pieces and a large roll of paper towels.