Seafood Boil Instructions

Pacific Northwest Seafood Boil for 6 to 8 people containing clams, crab, prawns, and sausage

Many variations of seafood boils can be found around the United States (and beyond). The basic tenets are use fresh/local seafood and veggies, gather your community and feed them something delicious.

To further these time-honored traditions, every August we sell a Pacific Northwest boil meal kit through our online store - buy one here!

Our 2026 Seafood Boil Kit contains:

  • 4 lbs Manila steamer clams (from the South Puget Sound or Northern Olympic Peninsula)
  • 2 Dungeness crab clusters (AK caught)
  • ½ lb spot prawns from Hood Canal, WA
  • Smoked sausage rope from Tri City Meats (Olympia, WA)
  • Seafood seasoning from Spiva Cooking (Bremerton, WA)
  • Shelton-Mason County Journal (not technically an ingredient, but important nonetheless!)

You’ll need to procure:

  • 2 cans or bottles of beer (bonus points for Rainier)
  • 2 pounds small red or yellow potatoes (if larger than 1 ½” in diameter, cut them in half)
  • 3-4 ears corn, shucked and cut in 2-3” pieces
  • 2 large onions (peeled and cut into quarters) or 3-4 spring onions, trimmed and cut in half
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 sticks (½ pound) butter

GET READY…

  • Round up some folks for the feast!
  • Locate the biggest pot you have, at least 16 quarts (20 or larger is better)
  • Gather all your ingredients
  • Spread the newspaper out on your table
  • Locate a rimmed baking sheet or large roasting pan to contain the mess. Or, choose chaos and eat straight off the newspaper

GET SET…

  • Cut the sausage into 2” pieces
  • Rinse and scrub the clams under cold running water
  • Drain and rinse the spot prawns
  • Cut one of the lemons into wedges and cut the other into halves
  • Melt the butter and keep it warm

BOIL! 

  • Pour the beers plus 2 cups of water into the pot and place over the highest heat
  • Squeeze in the juice of the two lemon halves
  • Add the tin of Spiva Seafood Seasoning
  • Add the potatoes and bring to a boil, cook until they’re barely tender (about 10 minutes)
  • Add onions and corn, cover and steam for 5 minutes (if your pot doesn’t have a cover, use the baking sheet or roasting pan)
  • Add sausage and clams, cover and steam until clams start to open
  • Add crab and shrimp, cook until clams are fully open and shrimp are cooked through
  • Gently tip the pot onto the pan or newspaper (mind the hot liquid! Use a large slotted spoon or tongs to nudge everything out if you don’t want a wet mess)
  • Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges and plenty of napkins!
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