Old Bay: On Overuse & Restraint
For those not familiar with Old Bay, it is a spice blend produced by McCormick, predominantly used for seafood. If you live in the mid-Atlantic, you know what I’m talking about.
I love Old Bay as much as the next guy, but I have to get this off my chest. You’re using too much. This goes out to a lot of people. First, let’s be honest. It’s really celery salt, a blend of peppers and what amounts to pumpkin pie spice. When you use too much it can make your food salty and/or spicy. It doesn’t need to go in everything related to seafood.
If you serve seafood and its in your tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, all you breadings/batters and seasoning blends, you might be using too much. Crabcakes and shrimp salad have often been destroyed by a heavy hand. If you have beautiful scallops, resist the urge to sprinkle some on top. Drop the crutch. It’s about restraint.
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I agree. Restraint is the BIG word when using Old Bay seasoning. I know boil recipes say to use a large amount – but we have found that less is better. If your boil is too spicy, remove the shells and rinse the shrimp or crab with water. You may have to do this several times. I also suggest removing the shrimp from the boil after a few minutes or it becomes tough and stringy.
I love Old Bay. Everything in moderation, right?
Thank you. Why do CopyKat recipes not include seasoning?