Big Chill Seafood Tower Recipe

Cook and chill lobster

If lobster is live: bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add lobster and cook for 8-10 minutes for a 1.25–1.5 lb lobster until shell is bright red and internal temperature reaches 140°F. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Once fully chilled, crack claws and split tail lengthwise or leave whole per presentation preference and refrigerate until assembly.

Prepare cocktail shrimp

If shrimp are raw: bring salted water with a squeeze of lemon and a bay leaf to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 1.5–2 minutes until pink and opaque. Immediately transfer to an ice bath, then peel leaving tail on. Chill until assembly.

Prepare peel-and-eat shrimp

Boil peel-on shrimp 2–3 minutes until cooked through. Shock in ice bath, drain, and refrigerate. Serve chilled with lemon and cocktail sauce; place a small pile on the tower in their shells.

Stone crab claws

If claws are refrigerated/pre-cooked, keep them chilled. Crack lightly at serving time so guests can access meat. Refrigerate until assembly.

Shuck oysters

Shuck oysters on the half shell, keeping the oyster liquor in the shell. Rinse edges if necessary. Arrange on crushed ice immediately to keep cold. Keep 1 dozen oysters on ice until plating.

Pickle clams & mussels

Heat white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, sliced garlic and jalapeño in a small saucepan until just simmering and sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Place fully cooked clams and mussels into jars or shallow container, pour cooled brine to cover, refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight preferred) to chill and develop flavor. Drain before assembling on tower, reserving a small amount of brine if you want to drizzle or serve separately.

Pat tuna loin very dry. Brush with sesame oil and season lightly with salt. Heat a small skillet over very high heat with the neutral oil until shimmering. Sear tuna 10–15 seconds per side so the exterior is browned but center remains raw (rare). Immediately transfer to a plate and chill briefly for 5 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain into 4 oz worth of thin medallions. Arrange slices on a small chilled plate for the tower and drizzle with soy sauce, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallion prior to placing on the tower.

Combine mayonnaise, prepared horseradish and a pinch of salt; mix until smooth. Taste and adjust heat with additional horseradish if desired. Refrigerate until service.

For mignonette: finely mince 1 small shallot and combine with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or the prepared mignonette quantity), a pinch of sugar and cracked black pepper. Stir and chill. Spoon small amounts onto oyster shells as desired.

Prepare tower base: choose a large shallow platter. Spread a thin layer of sea salt (optional) and mound crushed ice to create multiple levels for presentation. Keep platter chilled in refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Place largest items first: position the chilled whole lobster prominently in the center or back of the platter. Tuck the cracked stone crab claws beside the lobster, claws slightly elevated on ice.

Arrange oysters: nestle the dozen oysters on the half shell into the crushed ice around the lobster. On a few shells place a small dot of horseradish cream and, if using, a tiny spoonful of caviar (about 1 tsp total distributed over several oysters). Serve extra horseradish cream and mignonette on the side.

Add tuna tataki: fan the thinly sliced chilled tuna on a small bed of ice or a chilled small dish and place it onto the tower near the oysters.

Place cocktail shrimp: arrange the 8 peeled, tail-on cocktail shrimp in a neat cluster with cocktail sauce nearby or in a ramekin on the platter.

Place peel-and-eat shrimp: pile the 8 peel-and-eat shrimp (in shell) in a small cluster with lemon wedges and a ramekin of melted butter or extra cocktail sauce nearby.

Add pickled clams & mussels: drain the chilled pickled clams and mussels and arrange six of each in small spoons or on the ice bed in two groups. If desired, spoon a touch of reserved pickling brine over each for shine.

Garnish & final touches: tuck lemon wedges and parsley sprigs around the tower. Put melted butter in a small ramekin for lobster dipping and cracked-claw picks or nutcrackers for guests. Keep platter on ice and serve immediately.

Optional upgrade: if using specialty oysters, substitute 12 specialty oysters and label them for guests; adjust garnish (caviar allocation or extra mignonette) as preferred.