Italian Seafood Boil

OLD BAY® SEAFOOD BOIL

Steps:

• Fill a very large stockpot fitted with a basket insert with about 8 quarts of water, or about halfway full. Squeeze lemons into the water, tossing the halves in too. Add onions, chiles, thyme, garlic, 1 2/3 cup seafood seasoning, 6 teaspoons kosher salt, and bay leaves; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir potatoes into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Next, add the sausage and corn; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid. Add the clams and boil until they open, about 8 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp steep in the flavor for 10 minutes, adding the crab in the last 5 minutes (press them into the liquid).
• Drain and spread the crab, shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table or on 3 large serving trays. Sprinkle with a dusting of Old Bay® or provide for individual use.

ITALIAN SEAFOOD BOIL

Steps:

• Wrap the bay leaf, rosemary, and fennel seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Set the sachet aside. Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped fennel and shallots and saute until the fennel is tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the wine and fish broth. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the sachet. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
• Add the clams to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 6-8 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Using tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl. Repeat with the mussels. Add the potatoes to the cooking liquid and simmer until they are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the fish, shrimp, and corn. Simmer until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. Return the clams and mussels to the soup. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the Garlic Toasts with Red Pepper Aioli.
• Aioli:
• To make the garlic bread: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Drizzle the oil over the bread slices. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Immediately rub the garlic cloves over the hot toasts.
• To make the aioli: Finely chop the garlic in the food processor. Add the peppers and blend until almost smooth. Blend in the mayonnaise. With the machine running, blend in the oil. Season the aioli, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl. (The aioli can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Spread the aioli over the toasts and serve.

ITALIAN SEAFOOD BOIL RECIPE

Steps:

• Wrap the bay leaf, rosemary, and fennel seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Set the sachet aside. Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped fennel and shallots and saute until the fennel is tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the wine and fish broth. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the sachet. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Add the clams to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 6 to 8 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Using tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl. Repeat with the mussels. Add the potatoes to the cooking liquid and simmer until they are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the fish, shrimp, and corn. Simmer until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. Return the clams and mussels to the soup. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the Garlic Toasts with Red Pepper Aioli. This recipe yields 6 servings.