Ultimate Fisherman's Favorite Seafood Boil - Duke's Style! Recipe

Clean & portion seafood

Rinse mussels and clams under cold water; discard any with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Devein prawns if not already done (leave shells on for flavor). Cut halibut, salmon, and cod into roughly 2-inch chunks. Slice calamari tubes into rings and reserve tentacles. Halve lobster tails lengthwise. Slice sausage into 1/2-inch rounds.

Prep vegetables & aromatics

Scrub potatoes and halve any large ones so pieces are uniform. Cut corn into 3–4 pieces per cob. Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Chop parsley and gather thyme sprigs. Halve lemons for juice and wedges.

In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or wide Dutch oven (at least 12–16 qt for this quantity), melt 150 g of the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce by about one-third (3–5 minutes).

Add the seafood stock (or clam juice), bay leaves, whole peppercorns, Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, smoked paprika, Old Bay (if using), kosher salt, and cayenne. Stir well and bring the mixture to a steady simmer.

Add the potatoes and sausage slices to the simmering broth. Partially cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes until potatoes are nearly tender when pierced with a fork.

Add the corn pieces and continue simmering 6–8 minutes until potatoes are tender and corn is crisp-tender. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt or creole seasoning if needed.

Add the clams and mussels to the pot. Cover and simmer 4–6 minutes until shells open (discard any that remain closed).

Gently nestle the lobster tails, prawns (shells on), halibut, salmon, and cod chunks into the simmering broth. Cover and simmer 3–5 minutes for prawns and fish to become opaque and just cooked through; lobster tails will take about 4–6 minutes depending on size (meat should be opaque and firm).

Add the calamari rings and tentacles and the reserved 75 g unsalted butter torn into pieces around the pot. Simmer 1–2 minutes more; calamari should be just cooked (not rubbery) and butter should melt into a slightly glossy, herb-scented broth.

Remove the pot from heat. Discard bay leaves and whole peppercorns if you wish. Add the chopped parsley and squeeze the juice of the two halved lemons into the broth; stir gently.

Transfer contents to a large serving platter or leave in the pot family-style. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt to taste, scatter extra parsley, and serve with lemon wedges and melted butter on the side for dipping.

Suggested service: provide crab forks or seafood picks and plenty of napkins. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat gently in a saucepan—do not overcook to prevent fish and calamari from becoming tough.