Seafood Boil

Method

1. Use an 8–10 litre pot with plenty of spare space. Check mussels: discard cracked shells and those that stay open when tapped. Keep the cleaned seafood refrigerated while preparing the vegetables. The crab in this recipe is already cooked; raw crab needs a different sequence.
2. Bring the water, lemon quarters, onion, bay leaves, salt and seafood seasoning to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 12–15 minutes, until a knife enters but meets a little resistance at the centre.
3. Add the corn pieces and cook for 5 minutes. The potatoes should now be nearly tender. If your potatoes are still firm, give them additional time before adding any seafood; the seafood cannot wait indefinitely without overcooking.
4. Meanwhile melt the butter in a separate small pan over low heat. Add garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes without browning. Stir in paprika and optional chilli, remove from heat and add the finishing lemon juice. Do not use raw-seafood utensils in this butter.
5. Add the thawed precooked crab legs and simmer for 3–4 minutes to begin reheating. Add the mussels, cover and cook for another 3–5 minutes. Add the shrimp last and simmer for 2–4 minutes, depending on size, until their centres are firm and opaque and reach 63°C.
6. Check that the crab is piping hot, 74°C when reheated under this plan, and discard mussels that remain closed after cooking. Remove finished seafood promptly with tongs if another ingredient needs a little longer. Do not judge doneness from shell colour alone.
7. Drain carefully in batches rather than lifting and tipping the entire heavy pot. Arrange on a large warm platter, removing bay leaves and lemon quarters. Spoon over the garlic butter, scatter parsley and serve at once with bowls for shells. Do not store leftovers in the hot cooking liquid.