shrimp, cockle and sausage boil

Mr. Mari didn't grow up eating much in the way of seafood. His exposure was limited to fried fish sticks, shrimp cocktail and on rare occasions, he'd order Dover sole at fahncy restaurants. It wasn't until ten years ago when we went to Japan on a twelve-day trip with my parents that his appetite for seafood changed. Since they were hosting, Mr. Mari said he'd eat whatever was placed in front of him. If he didn't like it, he'd still eat it - but chase it down with lots of sake. There were some strange things, even things my dad didn't like, but Mr. Mari ate everything - raw, baked, boiled and fried. 

We eat seafood about 1-3 times a week now, mainly because it's a healthy source of lean protein. I thank my parents for taking us on the trip that pried Mr. Mari's palette open but I'm also thankful for selfish reasons. I love shellfish and if I could eat it every day - raw, baked, boiled or fried - I would. No sake chaser necessary.

This seafood boil is not extreme, even those with a smidge of seafood exposure can handle it. If you want a less spicy version, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño and omit the hot sauce from the recipe but keep the bottle on the table. If you don't care about carbs or want to stretch the meal to feed four, add an extra ear of corn as well as a pound of small red-skinned potatoes at the beginning of your boil and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Shrimp, Cockle and Sausage Boil
serves 2 people for dinner

2 celery stalks, trimmed and halved
2 garlic cloves, smashed and rough chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, halved
1 onion, peeled, quartered and cut through stem end
1 ear of corn, cleaned and trimmed, quartered
1 pound smoked or fresh Andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons seafood seasoning, split
1 pound New Zealand cockles or littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, shell on
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
Garlic bread, for dipping, optional (but why wouldn't you???)

Add celery, garlic, jalapeño, onion, 1-tablespoon seafood seasoning and 8 cups of water to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add corn and sausage; cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add cockles; cook until shells start to open, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add shrimp. Stir and cook shrimp until opaque, about 1-2 minutes. Reserve about 1/4-cup of the broth and strain the mixture. Return mixture to pot and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of seafood seasoning, reserved broth, butter and one teaspoon of hot sauce. Toss and serve in large bowls with hot sauce and garlic bread on the side. Enjoy!