Why a Seafood Boil Is the Ideal Comfort Food for Pandemic Times

As we move from the carefree warmth of summer into the crisp, reflective days of autumn, life outside our windows has changed drastically. To borrow a line from Gershwin, the living this year has certainly been far from easy.

This holds true for everyone, but especially for those of us who cook at home. Many have shifted from cooking out of passion to cooking out of necessity. If the constant cycle of chopping, cooking, serving, cleaning, and repeating has worn you thin, consider embracing the coastal tradition of boiling seafood. Whether it’s crawfish, Maine lobster, or your personal favorites, throw them in a large pot with spicy broth or beer on the grill, alongside sausages, corn, and red potatoes.

The Classic Clam Bake

In New England, this feast is known as a clam bake (or clambake). Originally, it was cooked on the beach in a fire pit, layered with hot stones, seaweed, and burlap sacks soaked in seawater. This technique was passed down by the Wampanoag people of Cape Cod, who shared it with the first settlers.

A traditional New England clam bake would often feature cold-water lobster, quahogs, mussels, and steamers, all complemented by corn on the cob and potatoes. Occasionally, carrots, onions, and the Portuguese sausage linguiça were added for extra flavor.

Today, most clam bakes (though not all) have evolved into clam boils, where the ingredients are cooked together in large pots of water. Often, the ingredients are organized in nets for easier removal and serving.

The clam bake, or boil, didn’t remain confined to New England for long. Once trains started delivering clams packed in ice to other regions, John D. Rockefeller introduced the tradition to Cleveland. There, the dish was altered with the addition of chicken, boiled alongside the clams and corn, while sweet potatoes replaced the traditional red-skinned potatoes.

A Southern Twist on the Clam Bake

Seafood boils likely made their way south through various travelers, where they were adapted into different regional styles. In the Mid-Atlantic, blue crabs were steamed rather than boiled, often with a tangy mixture of beer and vinegar. Chesapeake Bay crab seasoning was introduced, along with mallets and brown paper-covered tables for cracking open the crabs.

In the Low Country regions of Georgia and South Carolina, seafood boils were originally centered around coastal shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Today, variations may include ham, crabs, or crawfish, depending on what’s available.

While the dish is sometimes called Frogmore Stew or Beaufort Stew after two South Carolina towns, the name Frogmore became the most popular after it was featured in Gourmet Magazine in the 1980s.

In Louisiana’s Cajun country, the crawfish boil became an iconic tradition. These boils are known for their specific, though sometimes contested, rules. Most are cooked over propane in large 60- to 80-quart pots with an interior strainer, though some people prefer using a scoop or net instead.

Each "boil master" brings their own twist to the spicy broth, often including garlic, cayenne, bay leaf, mustard seed, coriander, allspice, lemon, and hot sauce, among other seasonings. As for condiments, options range from Italian dressing to ketchup to butter. Despite the variations, one rule is universally agreed upon: no pickers or crackers allowed. In Louisiana, a crawfish boil is meant to be eaten by hand.

Seafood Boils: The Ultimate One-Pot Feast

How does this history relate to your pandemic pantry? Your backyard may not resemble a beach or bayou, and let’s be honest, you might have a balcony or fire escape instead of a lush garden. No matter the setting, a clam bake or seafood boil offers the perfect opportunity to escape the ordinary and enjoy a well-earned break.

These one-pot meals, while similar in structure and ingredients, are easily adaptable to your tastes. They’re designed to evoke the essence of outdoor dining. Because they’re naturally messy, they’re best eaten outside, laid out on newspaper or plastic-covered tables. Guests can dig in, selecting whatever catches their eye — a few clams, a piece of sausage, some corn, or a lobster claw.

What’s more, these meals feature ingredients that capture the spirit of late summer, requiring little prep beyond perhaps halving potatoes or breaking corn into pieces. Feel free to add a personal twist with regional or cultural items — whole artichokes, mushrooms, fennel, turnips, or parsnips. Experiment with different sausages, like kielbasa or chorizo, or if you're vegan, swap it out for a plant-based alternative.

Admittedly, tasks like scrubbing mussels or dropping live lobster and crawfish into boiling water can seem daunting to the unseasoned cook. That’s why many of us prefer to enjoy shellfish at restaurants instead of preparing it ourselves. But for those with a strong stomach, it’s a simple, straightforward task.

The cooking duties don’t have to fall on one person. Seafood bakes and boils are typically prepared as a communal activity, and eating them is just as social. Get the whole family involved, and since there's little knife work required, even young children can help with tasks like shucking corn or washing potatoes.

Once you try making a clam bake or seafood boil for the first time, you'll quickly discover that the real work comes down to two things: a) infusing the right flavors and b) perfecting the timing. You can follow recipes like this one for a Seafood Boil or a traditional New England-style Clam Bake. If you're feeling adventurous, try crafting your own Old Bay seasoning for a Delaware Blue Crab Boil, or use Creole crab boil spices for a Louisiana Crawfish Boil. For the freshest ingredients, look to local farm stands, fishmongers, or restaurants that have adapted to become makeshift pantries.

Even if you end up cooking everything on the stovetop during a hot and humid evening, this kind of meal will still bring a taste of outdoor celebration indoors. And you’ll almost certainly have leftovers to turn into a refreshing seafood salad for tomorrow’s cool, light dinner.