Seafood boil

Ingredients

For 6 servings

• •1 c. à soupe olive oil
• •200 g cooking chorizo sliced into thick coins
• •1 large onion cut into wedges
• •2 c. à soupe Cajun seasoning plus 2 tsp for flavouring the butter
• •2 chicken stock cubes
• •1 lemon halved, plus extra wedges to serve
• •1 bunch of parsley leaves and stalks separated and finely chopped
• •1 kg new potatoes
• •4 corn on the cobs each cut into 2-3 pieces
• •1.5 kg mixed seafood defrosted if frozen (we used 4 lobster tails, 4 velvet swimmer crabs and 18 large raw shell-on prawns)
• •100 g butter
• •2 garlic cloves finely grated
• •a few dashes of hot sauce to taste

Method

1. 1.Heat the oil in a stockpot, very large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat and sizzle the chorizo for 6-8 mins or until crisp and the fat has been released. Scoop out onto a plate, leaving the oil behind. Scatter the onion into the pan and cook for a few minutes to soften. Sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning and stir for 1 min to coat. Pour in 3 litres of water, crumble in the stock cubes, squeeze in the lemon juice, then drop in the lemon halves and parsley stalks and bring everything to a simmer.
2. 2.Tip the potatoes into the broth and simmer for 10 mins, then add the corn and lobster tails, if using, and simmer for 5 mins more. Finally add the crab and prawns (if using raw velvet crab then add thus with the lobster). Simmer for a final 5 mins until the prawns are pink and cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
3. 3.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Stir in the garlic and cook gently for 1-2 mins. Add 2 tsp Cajun seasoning, a shake of hot sauce and about 2 tbsp of the cooking broth to loosen. Stir in the parsley leaves and take off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the seafood, potatoes and corn onto a large platter or tray, discarding the onion, lemon and parsley stalks. Scatter over the cooked chorizo and drizzle everything with the herby butter. Serve with extra lemon wedges for squeezing.