Celebrating the 4th with Valley & Co. – Crab Boil
Posted by Aleah & Nick on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 · 10 Comments
Well we are just now days away from the 4th of July and we can hardly wait! The sand and relaxation calls us. On Monday we shared with you some bonus imagery and Nick’s Blueberry and Strawberry Shortcake recipe from our 4th of July entertaining spread in San Diego Magazine. We’re keeping the fun going with more bonus images and our crab boil recipe just in time for the holiday weekend.
Our premise for the shoot was a modern {effortless} spin on the nostalgic summertime feast: crab boil. We steamed up crab, corn, mussels, and shrimp and served in individual little crab “pots” from Crate and Barrel. We dressed our place settings with elements reminiscent of summer: flour sacks acted as our over sized napkins, red enamelware silverware brought in a pop of color, and a simple navy runner completed our sublte red, white, and blue.
As always, we love to offer our guests a sweet and usable take-home gift they’ll appreciate. We filled little glass jars with crab boil seasoning {Old Bay seasoning from your grocery store is a tasty choice} and placed them atop each place setting.
When serving up crustaceans or other hands-on food, damp towels are a must to keep on hand so your guests stay nice and clean. We simply rolled ours up and placed in a ceramic dish topped with sliced lemons.Our drink was oh-so refreshing {stay tuned for that recipe tomorrow} and tied in our festive colors without being too much.
The place mats are actually bath tiles you can purchase at any home improvement store and are smooth stones. It was an unexpected way to tie in the coast while adding some fresh interest.
By mixing and matching elements, colors, and materials, you can create your own effortless 4th of July celebration. Add Valley & Co.’s summertime crab boil, our shortcake, and our drink recipe tomorrow and your bash will be the talk of the neighborhood!
4th of July Crab Boil – this should serve 6-8 adults with some to spare
Crab boil seasoning to taste {in your spice aisle} | 4 pounds red potatoes
1 pound pre-cooked kielbasa {cut into 1″ pieces} | 8 ears {corn husks removed and broken in half} | 1 pound mussels | 5-6 pounds whole crab, cleaned and broken into pieces | 4 pounds fresh shrimp {peeled and deveined} | 2 lemons to garnish | Optional: garlic head
*We recommend you cook this outside. In a large pot {this can be based on the number of guests you’re cooking for} heat water {about 2/3 full} and add your crab boil seasoning to taste. Bring water to a boil and add kielbasa and potatoes and cook for approximately 10 minutes. {Add in optional garlic head here.}
Add the corn and crab pieces and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning level and add more if you like. Add shrimp and mussels when everything else is almost done; cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Mussels are done when they open.
Remove the ingredients with a slotted spoon and dish into individual ceramic pots or bowls. Garnish with lemon slices and enjoy!
So tell us: what are your plans for the 4th? What’s on your menu?
When serving up crustaceans or other hands-on food, damp towels are a must to keep on hand so your guests stay nice and clean. We simply rolled ours up and placed in a ceramic dish topped with sliced lemons.
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beautiful table!! Love the individual little crab posts.
This is beyond cool… I would love to sit around this table or invite my friends over and make them enjoy something like this. Ah, how I want crab right now!Amazing work guys!
You did such a beautiful job with this!! It's been a long time since I've seen such a lovely crab boil (former New Englander).The table looks perfect, too! We haven't decided what we're doing for the 4th yet – last minute planning, I guess.
LOVE LOVE this idea.. I am gonna do it. Were these 1qt or 3 qt casserole dishes from crate and barrel? I am ordering these soon!!
Thank you! That makes our day! The casserole dishes were from Crate & Barrel, yes. Have fun with it – we’d love to see a picture if you make it! Cheers.
Were they the larger or smaller qt casserole dishes? Thanks so much!
Believe they were 3 quart dishes. They were sold in the small wares section.
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How many people does this recipe serve?
This should serve 6-8 adults with some leftovers. The potatoes and corn are filling and this recipe will leave guests with about 1/2-3/4 pound of crab.
We’d double the recipe if you’re entertaining for more than 8.
Happy 4th!