Best Seafood Boil

Ingredients

• 4 lemons , halved
• 2 medium sweet onions , such as Vidalia®
• 4 serranos chiles , split in ½ lengthwise and seeds and membranes removed
• 2 heads garlic , peeled and halved
• 2 bunches fresh thyme , tied with string
• 1.67 cups seafood seasoning , such as Old Bay®
• 6 teaspoons kosher salt , or more to taste
• 6 bays leaves
• 3 pounds medium red potatoes , sliced in half
• 5 packages smoked kielbasa sausage , 13 ounce
• 6 earss sweet corn , halved
• 30 littlenecks clams , scrubbed
• 4 pounds jumbo shrimp , deveined, tail on
• 2.5 pounds Alaskan king crab legs

Instructions

1. 1

   Fill a very large stockpot fitted with a basket insert with about 8 quarts of water, or about halfway full. Squeeze lemons into the water, tossing the halves in too. Add onions, chiles, garlic, thyme, seafood seasoning, kosher salt, and bay leaves; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Stir potatoes into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Next, add sausage and corn; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid.

4. 4

   Add clams and boil until they open, about 8 minutes. Toss in shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let shrimp steep in the flavor for 10 minutes, adding crab in the last 5 minutes (press them into the liquid).

5. 5

   Drain and spread crab, shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table or on three large serving trays. Sprinkle with a dusting of Old Bay or provide for individual use.