Can the broth from a low country boil be used for anything else?
For those who might not know what a low country boil is; it's basically potatoes, corn, sausage, shrimp (and crab or lobster) boiled all together with seasonings (usually seafood boil packets, lemons, and old bay).
Most recipes I've seen have you just dump the "broth" into the sink. Is it possible to save the broth and use it for anything else later?
Best Answer
Your instincts are good; throwing tasty broth away is a criminal waste! I have a couple ideas that are worth a shot.
Risotto: use it for the broth or stock. You may wish to add some more sausage and seasfood bits in for extra tastiness.
Rice/pilaf: use the broth in place of water for cooking the rice. It'll give a richer flavor to the result.
Bisque: Reduce broth, salt it, season, and mix with cream and maybe a little roux to thicken it.
Pan sauce: Throw broth in a saucepan, reduce it by up to half, and stir in cold roux to thicken, then season with salt, paprika, pepper, herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary), and maybe a splash of white wine. It should produce an excellent savory sauce, akin to a veloute.
Bread: Replace some or all of the water in bread you bake with the broth, to give the bread part of the flavor. Since I don't know how much of each ingredient the boil has, I can't say if this will come out tasty or not, but it's worth a shot.
The other 4 items are pretty safe bets, as long as the broth is fairly tasty. If you reduce and thicken the broth with roux, cornstarch, cream, or cheese, you'll probably be able to turn it into something tasty to dip bread into. In a pinch, it could also become a soup.
One note: you may wish to simmer the broth down until reduced by half to get a stronger flavor for use in other dishes; however, taste it periodically to make sure it's not becoming too overpowering in flavor. If the boil is already fully salted, you will need to adjust salt accordingly when using the broth in cooking. Reduce salt in dishes prepared from it, avoid reducing down the broth to prevent it becoming too salty, and maybe even dilute it down with water.
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What can I do with leftover seafood boil broth?
In a pinch, it could also become a soup. One note: you may wish to simmer the broth down until reduced by half to get a stronger flavor for use in other dishes; however, taste it periodically to make sure it's not becoming too overpowering in flavor.Can you save seafood boil broth?
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Answer 2
I make a bisque. I scrape the corn from the cob and puree the vegis, add some whipping cream, and salt to taste after reducing your stock. It is the best part of the meal. If there are a lot of potatoes left I will use some in the bisque and then make some potato cakes to serve with the bisque.
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