So, you’re having a seafood boil, huh? Awesome. And you’re thinking, what else do I need? Most folks know the boil itself is pretty packed, usually with potatoes and corn bobbing around with all that glorious seafood like shrimp, crab, and crawfish. You’d think that’d be enough.
But then the questions start. “Should I make something else?” or “What can I bring?” It’s like a reflex. And boy, have I seen people go wild with this. It reminds me of this one time, oh man, it was a learning experience for sure. This was years ago, when my buddy Dave decided he was going to throw the “ultimate” seafood boil. He’d just gotten this huge new outdoor cooker and was dying to show it off.
Dave, bless his heart, he researched. He got the shrimp, the snow crab legs, even some lobster tails because he was feeling fancy. And yeah, corn and potatoes went into that big pot. But then he got to thinking about sides. And he didn’t just think about them, he went into full-on production mode.
The Great Side Dish Overload
First, there was the garlic bread. Okay, standard. Can’t go wrong there, I thought. But then, he decided we needed mac and cheese. Not just any mac and cheese, but a giant, baked dish with like five kinds of cheese. Then his sister, Linda, offered to bring her famous coleslaw – the creamy kind, super rich. And someone else, I think it was Mark, decided a big green salad was essential, you know, for “balance.”
By the time we were ready to eat, the table looked insane. The seafood boil, which should have been the star, was almost crowded out by this mountain range of side dishes. We had:
- Garlic bread (a mountain of it)
- Mac and cheese (enough for a small army)
- Creamy coleslaw
- A massive green salad
- And I vaguely remember someone showing up with a potato salad too! As if the potatoes in the boil weren’t enough!
We all dug into the seafood, of course. That’s what we were there for. It was messy, spicy, and delicious. But then you’d look at the table, and it was just… too much. People took a scoop of this, a spoonful of that, mostly out of politeness, I think. But everyone was getting stuffed from the actual boil. Those potatoes and corn in the boil? They do a good job of filling you up alongside the protein.
What a waste, honestly. We had SO many leftovers. Dave was eating mac and cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next three days. Linda’s coleslaw started to look a bit sad by day two. It taught me a valuable lesson that day.
I was just starting to get really into cooking back then, always trying to make a ton of different things, impress people, you know? I’d even offered to bring my special cornbread muffins, but thankfully Dave said he was already doing garlic bread. Dodged a bullet there, probably would have just added to the pile.
Keeping It Simple, Folks
So now, when I host a seafood boil, or when anyone asks me what to serve with one, I preach simplicity. The boil itself is rich and flavorful. It’s an event. You don’t need to overshadow it.
What do I actually go for these days?
- Good ol’ garlic bread: Still a winner. Perfect for sopping up that amazing broth. Can’t beat it.
- Maybe some plain white rice: Sounds boring, but it’s great for soaking up juices too, and it’s a nice, neutral counterpoint.
- A very simple green salad: If you must have greens, make it light. Just some lettuce, cucumber, a light vinaigrette. Nothing heavy.
- Or sometimes, just nothing extra: Seriously. If your boil has plenty of corn and potatoes, you might not need anything else. Let the seafood shine!
I remember after Dave’s great side dish catastrophe, we all kind of looked at each other, greasy-handed and overstuffed, and just laughed. He said, “Well, I guess we know for next time, eh?” And yeah, we did. The next time he did a boil, it was just the boil, and a modest amount of garlic bread. Perfection. It’s all about letting that amazing seafood be the hero. No need for a whole supporting cast trying to steal the spotlight.
