A seafood boil is the culinary culmination of boiling a mix of shellfish in a zesty bath of spices. Different regions of the country have different styles of seafood boil. In the Bayou, it's typical to flavor your seafood boil with Zatarain’s and lots of cayenne pepper. A low country boil, on the other hand, is a bit milder, but otherwise has a similar flavor profile that consists of bay leaf, mustard, coriander, allspice, and dill. A Cheseapeake-style boil is flavored with Old Bay Seasoning.
Typically, seafood boils contain one or more varieties of shellfish that reflect what's regionally available. In addition, there’s oftentimes potatoes, corn on the cob and smoked sausage. Everything cooks together in a very well-seasoned mixture of water and boil seasoning, with each ingredient added to the pot at different points.
Once everything is perfectly cooked through, you can serve the boiled ingredients on a large, communual tray or outdoor table lined with paper. Alernatively, you can portion things out individually. Once everything is laid out in all its steaming, aromatic glory, everyone at the table digs straight in with their bare hands to enjoy the meal.
