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Crab Boil Chesapeake Style

Crab Boil Chesapeake Style is a great way to enjoy potatoes, corn, clams and Maryland Blue Crabs and white wine broth when you're down the shore this Summer.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Barrett Bridenhagen

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces Andouille sausage
  • 3 cups chopped yellow onions
  • 2 cups chopped leeks well cleaned
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds small potatoes I bought red, white and blue mixed
  • 12 ears corn; husked and halved
  • 2 dozen littleneck clams scrubbed
  • 2 dozen cherrystone clams scrubbed
  • 1 dozen Maryland crabs
  • 2 + cups good dry white wine
  • Old Bay seasoning?
  • 4-8 springs of thyme

Instructions

  • Slice the Andouille diagonally in half and again ½-inch thick slices. Crab Boil Chesapeake Style andouille
  • Toss in the pot.
  • Sauté with the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed LARGE stockpot (mine is 12 quarts- bigger would have been better) over medium until the onions soften. Crab Boil Chesapeake Style sausage adn onion base Season.* Add the white wine.
  • Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot. I recommend this order: first the potatoes.Crab Boil Chesapeake Style add potatoes Then the clams. Crab Boil Chesapeake Style cherrystone and littneck clams If the crabs are already cooked, wait to add them, as you’re just reheating them. If they’re live, add them in now.
  • Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes.
  • Lower the heat to medium, add the crabs, and cook another 10 minutes. Then add the corn for 5 more minutes. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, and the clams and mussels are open.
  • With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl and top with the crabs. Crab Boil Chesapeake Style with clams
  • Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood.
  • Serve with a case of awesome summer wine like Mac Rostie’s Rosé; this proud sister is promoting Heid's very first vintage that she directed, picked, pressed, and bottled. Such a great Summer wine.

Notes

*Seasoning the dish is tricky. Certain crab stands, particularly at certain times of the year won’t have live crabs. Often, they sell them boiled in Old Bay Seasoning. If this is the case, don’t add ANY salt to the boil, as there will be plenty. If you find live crabs, you want to add a liberal amount of Old Bay to the onions and leeks.