Pick 3 Recipe

Rinse all seafood under cold running water. Scrub clams to remove grit; discard any clams with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. If using live whole crawfish, rinse thoroughly and purge if necessary (soak in salted water briefly then rinse). Peel and devein shrimp if not already done.

Pat seafood dry with paper towels and keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

If using potatoes and corn, place potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring to a simmer; parboil potatoes for 10 minutes. Add corn and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside. This ensures potatoes and corn will finish cooking with the seafood without overcooking the seafood.

Sauté aromatics

In a very large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When butter is melted, add sliced onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Build the broth

Add water (or seafood stock) and white wine to the pot. Stir in Old Bay (or seafood seasoning), bay leaves, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil.

Add the parboiled potatoes and corn (if using) to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Add the crawfish first to the boiling seasoned broth. Cook for 5–7 minutes (if using live crawfish, cook until bright red and firm).

Using a slotted spoon, push crawfish to one side and add clams to the pot. Cover and steam 4–6 minutes until clams open. Discard any clams that remain closed after cooking.

Add shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Do not overcook shrimp or they will toughen.

If using mussels instead of clams, follow the same timing as clams—steam 4–6 minutes until shells open. For a combination with mussels, ensure you stagger additions so all shellfish open and shrimp remain tender.

Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, chopped parsley and sliced green onions. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or seafood seasoning if needed.

Ladle seafood, potatoes and corn into a large serving bowl or spread on a newspaper-lined table for a casual seafood boil. Spoon generous amounts of the cooking broth over the seafood. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges, crusty bread for dipping, and melted butter if desired.

Leftovers: cool seafood quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with some of the reserved broth or steam briefly to avoid overcooking.