Ingredients:

  • 8 quarts water
  • 12 oz light lager beer
  • 0.5 cup Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 whole lemons, halved
  • 1 large white onion, quartered
  • 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
  • 2 lbs Dungeness crab or King crab legs
  • 1 lb jumbo shrimp, shell on, deveined
  • 1 lb Andouille sausage, sliced into 2 inch rounds
  • 5 red bliss potatoes, halved
  • 3 ears corn on the cob, cut into thirds
  • 1 lb unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup fresh garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tbsp lemon pepper
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:

  1. Fill your large stockpot with 8 quarts of water and the 12 oz of beer. Squeeze the 2 halved lemons into the water and drop the rinds in too. Add the 0.5 cup of Old Bay, the quartered onion, and the halved garlic heads. Bring this to a rolling boil until the air smells like a spice warehouse. Let it simmer for 10 minutes before adding any food to ensure the tea is fully steeped.
  2. Drop the halved red bliss potatoes into the boiling liquid. Cook for 10-12 minutes until a fork slides into a potato with minimal resistance. Once the potatoes are nearly done, add the 1 lb of sliced Andouille sausage and the 3 ears of corn. Let these boil for another 5 minutes. The sausage will release its fats, adding another layer of richness to the broth.
  3. Add the 2 lbs of crab legs to the pot. If using King crab, they usually need about 6 minutes; Dungeness takes about 5. Finally, toss in the 1 lb of jumbo shrimp. Boil for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turn opaque and form a C shape. Overcooking shrimp turns them into rubber, so watch them like a hawk. Immediately drain the entire pot or lift the strainer basket.
  4. While the seafood is draining, melt 1 lb of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the 0.5 cup of minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and translucent but not brown. If the garlic browns, it turns bitter, which ruins the sauce. Stir in the Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, paprika, cayenne, and sugar.
  5. Whisk the sauce until the spices are fully integrated and the butter looks silky. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and stir. Place all the boiled seafood, corn, and potatoes into a large heat proof bowl or a heavy duty plastic bag. Pour the warm butter sauce over everything and toss vigorously until every crevice of the crab is lacquered in spice.