involving all sorts of beef, pork, and fowl. But we’re not overlooking the fruits of the sea. On coastal towns nestled on the shores of America, the clambake or boil is the euphemism for the barbecue, because fish and an abundance of other tasty seafood are within a pole’s or net’s reach. Sure, the period of nice weather is shorter in some of the more northern regions, which makes the clambake that much more of an inherent party. It’s a little tough to have a festive lobster bake in Maine in the middle of January.
In the South, however, boils are happening year-round. A boil is the seafood version of a pig pickin’, and it’s a general term used for large gatherings, typically involving massive consumption of shellfish cooked in a huge boiling pot. Southerners will tell you that any reason, no matter how flimsy, is a perfect occasion for a boil; they just love the celebratory aspect of the feast. Baby shower? Boil time. Wedding anniversary? Grab the pot. Cousin’s got a new job? Let’s do this. It’s Saturday? Sure, that works, too.
Typically, there’s not much meat tucked inside these little critters of the sea, so a boil ends up being a bit of hard work to get enough meat out to be filling. Because you’re usually standing at a table rather than sitting, with claws and shells being cracked left and right, it’s a messy meal. Boil guests who opt to skip a bib end up with a stained shirt quite often, but a proper boil host has a hose nearby so you can wash your hands off right after you’re done chowing down. Because of all of this, the boil isn’t so much about the food as it is about camaraderie, though you should always be serving some serious grub.
Even though we’re not in Louisiana (boil country) every year for Fat Tuesday—and when the New Orleans Saints were making their run at a Super Bowl championship—at Brother Jimmy’s restaurants we have crawfish boils, complete with potatoes and corn, seasoned to perfection. We happen to think there is no better way to pair food with booze than with a boil. Thanks to the salty water, the more you eat, the thirstier you get. Which is why we have extra beers waiting in our coolers.
Don’t fret that the grill or your smoker is going to be left out of our dive into the realm of seafood. We’ve got scores of treats that don’t involve a bubbling cauldron of clawed critters. Salmon, tuna, catfish, scallops, and lobster (including a killer lobster roll that’ll convert any non-shellfish eater instantly) are all covered. You can even smoke some of the fish fillets right alongside other proteins, so your guests will have every genre of meat available. And all of our fish recipes have a bit of a Southern twist, whether it’s through a smoked tomato mojo sauce for striped bass or a guava BBQ sauce for your salmon. There’s no reason the South in your mouth can’t have originated from the ocean.
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH
BILL WITHERS
USE ME
B. B. KING
PLAYING WITH MY FRIENDS
CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN
MIDNITE HOUR
MUDDY WATERS
I CAN’T BE SATISFIED
ALABAMA
LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT
HOT TUNA
HESITATION BLUES
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
PRIDE AND JOY
DR. JOHN
RIGHT PLACE WRONG TIME
UNCLE KRACKER
DRIFT AWAY
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
BORN ON THE BAYOU
BOB DYLAN
ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
OLD DAN TUCKER
THE BLUES BROTHERS
SHE CAUGHT THE KATY
COWBOY MOUTH
HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONE
JIMMY BUFFETT
FINS
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
STIR IT UP
JIMMY CLIFF
WONDERFUL WORLD, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
VAN MORRISON
BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
BLACK WATER
PAUL SIMON
ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
CONGO SQUARE
We also make these sandwiches with Popcorn Shrimp (this page) and Blackened Chicken (this page). Whatever your po’ boy filling, it’s bound to be delicious.
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 (5-to 7-ounce) catfish fillets
2 tablespoons Blackening Spice (this page)
2 loaves French bread
Roasted Tomato Tartar Sauce (this page)
12 slices ripe tomato Shredded iceberg lettuce
SERVES 6
1 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (cast iron if you have it) over medium-high heat.
2 Sprinkle the Blackening Spice on the top side of the fillet and place in the pan spice side down. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
3 Cut the French bread into 6 portions and slice them lengthwise to open into a sandwich. If you’d like, you can toast the bread under a broiler for a moment, but it is not necessary.
4 Spread the Roasted Tomato Tartar Sauce on both sides of the bread slices. Lay 1 piece of catfish on the bread, followed by 2 slices of tomato and some shredded lettuce.
Grilling gives a subtle, smoky flavor to lobster—something you miss when you boil it—so give this method a shot. Just like with crabs, there will always be someone who will run at the thought of killing and cooking a lobster, so give fair warning if you have guests who might be undone by witnessing the event.
3 (1½-pound) lobsters
MAKES about 4 cups of diced lobster meat
1 The first step is to kill the lobster. With its claws bound by rubber bands, place the lobster on a cutting board, facing you. Place the point of a large, sharp chef’s knife at the top of the head and push the blade down between the eyes. This kills the lobster instantly, even though the muscles continue to move.
2 Remove the tail by holding the body in one hand and the tail in the other and twisting in the opposite direction.
3 Flatten each tail and place a skewer through each, down the length of the tail and underside of the shell—this keeps them straight while grilling. Crack the claws with the backside of the knife.
4 Preheat your grill to high heat, and when hot, add presoaked wood chunks or chips. Grill the lobster, covered: The tails will take 8 to 10 minutes and the claws 12 to 14 minutes. You can tell it is done when the shell turns bright red. You don’t want to overcook the lobster because it can turn anywhere from rubbery to mushy if overcooked.
5 Let the lobster cool a little before pulling it out of its shell and eating it or cutting it up for a lobster roll.
For a great variation on the traditional New England summery treat, we grill lobster, toss with some simple ingredients, and pile it on top of a warmed, butter-toasted bun. It’ll give any restaurant in Maine a run for its money.
1 recipe Grilled Lobster, diced (this page)
1 cup minced celery
¼ cup minced red onion
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 potato hot-dog buns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
SERVES 8
1 In a large bowl, combine the lobster meat with the celery, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery seed, salt, and pepper, mixing well.
2 Spread the inside of each roll with the butter and set on a griddle pan, cast-iron pan, or sauté pan. You can also use the grill, but be careful, because the bread will burn easily. We prefer the taste you get from a pan. Toast the buttered side until golden. Fill with the lobster and serve.
This mojo, although nontraditional, lends a great taste to striped bass as well as other fish, meat, and poultry dishes.
FOR THE SMOKED TOMATO MOJO:
2 large ripe but firm beefsteak tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the tomatoes
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning the tomatoes
1 garlic clove
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons finely diced red onion
2½ to 3 pounds wild striped bass, with skin, cut into 6 portions
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
SERVES 6
1 Make the smoked tomato mojo: Core the tomatoes and cut them in half. Place them in a pan (that will go into a smoker or on the grill) and season with salt and pepper. Prepare your smoker or grill for barbecuing, using the indirect heat setup (see this page), and preheat to 200°F. Have wood chunks or chips soaking and ready to go. When you’re ready to cook, add the presoaked wood and oil the hot grate. Smoke the tomatoes, with the grill or smoker cover closed, for 45 minutes to an hour.
2 Let the tomatoes cool, then peel off the skin (it should come right off). Place 3 halves in a blender with the garlic, oregano, oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper and blend until smooth. Cut the remaining tomato half into a small dice and add it to the mixture, along with the onion, without blending.
3 Preheat your grill to high and have wood chunks or chips soaking and ready to go. Make sure the grill grates are very clean and well oiled. Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4 Place the fish skin side down and grill for about 4 minutes, then turn and grill for about 4 minutes more. This could vary depending on the thickness of the fish.
5 Serve with the mojo on top or on the side.
We used a plank here because it’s a great method of cooking and adds a nice wood flavor to the fish. The edges of the plank burn just a bit, so some of the smoke infuses the fish. Keep a water bottle handy, because when you open up the cover, the plank will flame up. Just be sure you’re not hitting the fish with the water.
FOR THE MARINADE:
6 scallions, cut into
2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2½ pounds mahi mahi fillets
2 grilling planks, soaked for 2 hours
SERVES 6
1 Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blend until smooth.
2 Place the mahi mahi in a large bowl or in a zip-top bag, coat the fish with the marinade, cover the bowl or seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour.
3 Preheat your grill to high.
4 Place the mahi mahi on the planks and then onto the grill. Keep the lid closed while cooking—otherwise, the plank will flare up. Cook through for 15 to 20 minutes.
PLANK GRILLING: I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE A LITTLE TIDBIT OF knowledge surrounding this method of cookin’. The concept of plank grilling began centuries ago with the Native Americans. This process of cooking fish, split down the middle and secured to a plank of wood, is very effective in that it cooks in its own juices, keeping the meat moist, flavorful, and healthy. Native Americans typically used cedar because of the legendary healing powers it possessed, but now you can get planks in any variety of wood. Like wood smoking, plank grilling on different boards helps lend a great flavor to the fish. The types that we like the best include apple, cherry, cedar, and alder. Don’t use just any wood—make sure it’s specifically made for grilling. If you take wood from the lumberyard, you’ll end up ingesting a heavy dose of formaldehyde—which never tastes good. Also, make sure you’ve soaked your planks in water for a substantial amount of time, so you don’t open up the grill to find a plank engulfed in flames. You want the fish to be cooked, but not burned to a crisp.
A classic Southern dish; the scallions give a nice flavor and crunch to the creamy grits.
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup white grits
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, diced small
1½ tablespoons chopped garlic
2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
2 to 3 lemons, halved
SERVES 6
1 To make the grits, pour 4 cups of water into a 2-quart saucepan and add the salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the grits, whisking rapidly. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. If the grits seem too thick, add a little hot water to thin them out.
2 Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion is softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and Old Bay and sauté until the shrimp are just cooked, 4 to 5 minutes (they should be pink with no traces of gray). Add the scallions and squeeze in the juice from the lemons. Toss to incorporate and remove from the heat.
3 Divide the grits among 6 plates and place the shrimp in the center of the grits.
The flavored butter makes this dish smell (and taste) amazing. You’ll want to keep extra nearby for dipping the meat in. Your crabs should be alive when you buy them, so make sure there aren’t any squeamish guests around when it comes time for the clawed critters to meet the pan. (The season for soft-shell crab is from early May to mid-September, with a peak in June and July, so those are the best months to make this dish.)
FOR THE ANCHO CHILE-LIME BUTTER:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ teaspoons lime zest
½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon ancho chile powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 medium to large soft-shell crabs, cleaned (see Note)
3 avocados
SERVES 6
1 Make the ancho chile-lime butter: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, dredge the crabs in the flour, and place in the pan, working in batches. Cook for 4 minutes per side; add the remaining oil if the pan seems dry.
3 To serve, slice the avocados and place one half on each plate with 2 crabs and a dollop of the butter.
We like a nice meaty Blue Point oyster from the northeast, but you can use your favorite variety—the more local, the better. The jalapeño mignonette is also great on fresh-shucked raw oysters.
3 dozen large oysters
FOR THE GRILLED JALAPEÑO MIGNONETTE:
1 jalapeño
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
¼ cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fruity extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
SERVES 6
1 Scrub the oysters and keep them on ice until ready to use.
2 Make the grilled jalapeño mignonette: Preheat your grill to high and have wood chips soaking and ready to go. (We recommend a mild wood, such as apple or cherry, for oysters.) When the grill is hot, add the wood. Grill the jalapeño until it starts to wrinkle and char. Remove it and set aside to cool.
3 Peel the skin off the jalapeño, open it up, and remove the stem and seeds. Finely mince the jalapeño, place in a bowl, and add the shallot, vinegar, oil, and salt.
4 Place the oysters on the grill, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to open. Remove them from the grill, trying to retain as much of their liquid as possible.
5 Let them cool for a minute and pry them all the way open with an oyster knife, bottle opener, or screwdriver. Discard the top shell, which is the flatter side.
6 Sever the muscle that connects the meat to the shells and put a little mignonette on top of each.
Be forewarned: The mustard seeds will start to pop out of the pan if they get too hot. Although this is pretty comical, the flying seeds are hot and not easy to dodge (so don’t stick your face near the pan), but the tiny projectiles are worth it for this delicious summer meal.
FOR THE CORN RELISH:
1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced Spanish onion
4 ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 pounds thick-cut tuna steak Oil
Salt and ground black pepper
SERVES 6
1 In a large sauté pan over low heat, toast the mustard seeds. When you can see the seeds starting to pop, add the oil, followed by the onion, and raise the heat to medium. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the corn and sugar.
2 Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the corn is cooked through. Transfer to a bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
3 Add the remaining relish ingredients to the bowl and set aside.
4 Preheat your grill to high and have wood chips soaked and ready to go on.
5 Just before you before you’re ready to cook, place the presoaked wood on the hot coals and oil the hot grates. Lightly oil the tuna, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill. Turn the pieces of tuna 45 degrees before flipping over to give them nice grill marks. It will take 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare and 5 to 6 minutes for medium.
6 Slice the tuna and serve with the corn relish.
This is a nice twist on the traditional grilled salmon fillet; it gives your taste buds a contrast of flavors to enjoy—a smoky, savory rub paired with a lightly sweet and tropical basting sauce. This dish pairs well with Spiced String Beans (this page) and Grits (this page).
FOR THE RUB:
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
2¼ teaspoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
Canola oil
6 salmon fillets (about 3 pounds total)
1 recipe Guava BBQ Sauce (this page)
SERVES 6
1 Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
2 Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
3 Lightly oil the salmon and dust both sides with the rub.
4 Just before you’re ready to cook, oil the hot grate. Grill the salmon, with the cover on, for 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing the salmon with the Guava BBQ Sauce before you turn it. Brush the top again before serving. Serve with extra sauce.
We created this when our St. Maarten franchise opened in the Caribbean. It’s a great dish, and the flavors from the sweetened butter and the rub meld together nicely on the fish.
1 recipe Spicy Fish Rub (this page)
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinless catfish fillets (about 3 pounds total)
SERVES 6
1 In a small bowl, combine 5½ teaspoons of the Spicy Fish Rub with the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well and set aside at room temperature.
2 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Pat the catfish fillets dry and dust both sides of the fish with the remaining Spicy Fish Rub. Place the catfish in the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook on each side for 5 to 6 minutes.
3 Remove from the pan to a platter or individual plates and top with a dollop of the butter.
DRINKS: HELP WASH DOWN YOUR SEAFOOD with these cocktails:
HURRICANE
A classic New Orleans concoction that goes well with any seafood dish. And you get to use those nifty Hurricane glasses. See the recipe on this page.
LOUISVILLE LEMONADE
The Kentucky version of the Lynchburg Lemonade, the taste of Maker’s Mark in the glass lets you know it’s working. See the recipe on this page.
PALMETTO PUNCH
Because this festive bowl-based beverage is made with spiced rum and a Myers’s floater, it’s the perfect choice for those looking for something sweet with a little kick. See the recipe on this page.
When you have fresh sea scallops, you don’t need to do much to make them tasty—a little seasoning goes a long way.
3 pounds sea scallops
FOR THE MARINADE:
Zest of 4 lemons
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
SERVES 6 to 8
1 Pull the muscle off the scallops.
2 Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and gently toss in the scallops. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill, no more than 2 hours.
3 Preheat your grill to high heat and have wood chunks or chips soaking and ready to go.
4 Just before you’re ready to cook, add the wood and oil the hot grate. Grill the scallops, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you overcook scallops, they can become rubbery.
The traditional and quintessential Southern standard. Just make sure you have plenty of shrimp to go around for your party; novice boilers always make too few.
1 package crawfish/crab boil seasoning (available at most fish markets)
1 large Spanish onion, halved
3 lemons, halved
1½ pounds small new potatoes
6 ears corn, cut into thirds
4 pounds medium shrimp, unpeeled
SERVES 8
1 In a large stockpot, combine 8 quarts of water with the boil seasoning, onion, and lemons. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
2 Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, then add the potatoes and boil for 5 minutes more.
3 Add the corn and shrimp, bring back to a boil, and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 2 minutes more, drain, and serve.
HOW TO EAT A CRAWFISH: THERE IS A LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY at eating that makes you enjoy it more. This is why first-time crawfish-boilers often stare in amazement while everyone around them puts down three mudbugs in the time it takes them to get through with one. But when you’re good at it, there’s no work at all.
STEP ONE
The trick to eating crawfish is to grab the tail and the body and twist it, then give the head a quick suck and inhale. I find this particularly hard, given my lack of thumbs, but it does give you a mist of spicy flavor.
STEP TWO
Depending on how much meat is exposed on the remaining tail, you’ll have to determine if you want to go after that. The quicker you eat, the more you eat. If there’s enough meat exposed and overflowing from the shell, get your teeth in there and grab the firm meat with your front teeth while pinching the bottom of the tail, releasing the bottom of the meat from the shell, and you can pull the whole thing out.
STEP THREE
If you can’t get your teeth onto firm meat, you’ll peel back the back shell—one layer only—and expose some of the firm meat and repeat the pinching and pulling from step two.
A final tip: The ground will be littered with carcasses, so hopefully there’s a garbage pail nearby or else four-legged friends such as myself will have a field day with your lawn.
Redfish, also called red drum, is a common Southern fish, similar to snapper. White and mild, redfish soaks up all the other flavors well, giving the dish a nice spice. If you can’t find redfish, you can substitute snapper or striped bass.
FOR THE RELISH:
2 cups diced green tomato
½ cup diced green pepper
½ cup diced Spanish onion
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
¼ cup champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 pounds redfish fillets, cut into 6 portions
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
SERVES 6
1 Prepare the relish: Combine all the relish ingredients in a medium nonreactive saucepan, cover, and place over low heat.
2 Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. You should notice an increase in liquid in the pot, which is good. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3 Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
4 Heat a cast-iron or nonstick sauté pan until just about smoking; add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil. Put the fish in the pan and cook until cooked through and golden, about 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish.
5 Place the fish on individual plates or a platter and spoon the relish on top.
