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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