Vietnamese Cajun Seafood Boil

A tray of boiled Vietnamese cajun seafood on a table spread

Vietnamese Cajun Seafood Boil

Enjoy a spice-filled Viet-Cajun seafood boil in your very own backyard! This Viet-Cajun seafood boil incorporates fresh shrimp, manilla clams, and king crab legs tossed in a homemade Cajun seasoning butter sauce that is finger-lickin' good.

Course Lunch & Dinner Recipes

Cuisine Asian Fusion

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 1896kcal

Author Takes Two Eggs

Ingredients

Stockpot Broth

3 stalks lemongrass sliced into 4 inch pieces and pounded
1 head of garlic halved horizontally
3 inch piece of ginger (50 g) peeled and sliced into thick cut pieces
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon halved
1 tablespoon salt

Seafood and Vegetables

2 lbs manilla or littleneck clams soaked and scrubbed
1 ½ lbs shrimp washed
6 King Crab Legs frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 ½ lbs baby red potatoes halved
4 andouille sausages sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
4 ears of corn halved

Seafood Boil Sauce

1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup garlic ~2 heads, minced
2 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce
3 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 ½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Rinse the seafood. Rinse the shrimp and crab legs. Scrub and soak the clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes then rinse the clams until the water becomes clear. Set aside.
Make the broth. In a large stockpot, fill the pot halfway (about 1 gallon) with water. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, old bay, lemon, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the seafood and vegetables. Add the potatoes and return to a gentle boil. Uncover and boil on medium-high for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add clams and sausage. Cover the pot and boil on medium-high for 5 minutes. Lastly, add crab legs, shrimp, and corn. Cover pot, and let the mixture stand on low heat until the shrimp and clams are cooked through about 3-5 minutes. The seafood is cooked when the shrimp turns pink and the clams open. Using a colander, drain the seafood and discard the water. Discard the lemongrass, lemons, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.
Make the garlic butter sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the old bay, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and sugar until combined. Next in a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and minced garlic. Saute the garlic until fragrant. Then add the seasoning mix, lemon juice and Louisiana hot sauce. Stir until combined. Turn off heat and set aside.
Mix together. Transfer the seafood and vegetables to a large mixing bowl and toss the seafood with the butter sauce evenly coats the seafood. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lemon and salt and pepper.

Notes

Raw Shrimp Storage: store the fresh shrimp in the coldest part of the refrigerator and cook it within 1-2 days of buying. The best way to store shrimp is to lay them on a bed of ice and cover them with a wet paper towel. In essence, let the shrimp breathe and do not wrap it in an airtight bag. Do not freeze fresh shrimp it will change the texture of the shrimp.

Raw Clams Storage: store the clams on a tray or plate in a single layer covered with a damp cloth or paper towel. They must be cooked within 1-2 days of buying. Never store clams covered or sealed in plastic. The clams should have an ocean sea aroma, and closed shells. Give any open shelled clams a tap and they should close. If they don't discard them.
Scrubbing clams: before cooking scrub the clams with a hard-bristled brush and let them soak in cold salted water for 30-50 minutes to expel any extra sand and then rinse again.
Frozen king crab legs must be stored in the freezer until you are going to cook the legs. You must de-frost the crab legs before adding them to the pot.
You can use any seafood selection you please! This is YOUR seafood boil. Go all out and use whatever seafood makes you the happiest.
You can adjust the spiciness by adding more or less of the cayenne and Louisiana hot sauce. I am generally a spice wimp and err on the less spicy side of things.
Storage Instructions: This seafood boil is best eaten immediately. You can store the seafood and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To re-heat simply re-heat in the microwave.

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