Shellfish Boil with Spicy Green Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• •1 pound thick-cut smoked bacon, cut into 1" pieces
• •3 whole large onions, chopped
• •2 whole large fennel bulbs, chopped
• •1 bottle 750 ml bottle dry white wine
• •1 cup kosher salt
• •16 ounces chili-garlic sauce
• •1 cup Old Bay seasoning
• •4 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes
• •3 whole (1 1/2-2-pound) live lobsters
• •2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
• •24 whole littleneck clams, scrubbed
• •6 ears ears of corn, husked, cut in half
• •2 pounds head-on, shell-on jumbo shrimp
• •4 whole serrano chiles, finely grated
• •1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• •½ cup fresh lime juice
• •½ cup grapeseed oil
• •3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• •1 teaspoon sugar
• •¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
• •¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
• •Made of restaurant-grade aluminum
• •the 40-quart Vollrath 68270 Boiler/ Fryer with Basket is brawny enough to handle this family-size seafood boil. (108; webstaurantstore.com)

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Cook bacon in pot (a.k.a. boiler) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add onions and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add wine, salt, and 15 quarts cold water; cover pot and bring stock to a rolling boil. Cook 30 minutes.

   45 min

2. 2.

   Stir chili-garlic sauce and Old Bay into stock; increase heat to high. Place potatoes in basket insert and carefully lower into pot. Cover pot and return stock to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Add lobsters, mussels, clams, and corn to basket, cover, and return to a boil, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, turn off heat, and let sit, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in 16 cups ice water and let sit, covered, 15 minutes to infuse. Meanwhile, whisk chiles, lime zest, lime juice, oil, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Let sauce sit at room temperature 30 minutes to let flavors meld.

   65 min

3. 3.

   Carefully lift out basket and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange potatoes, corn, lobsters, clams, mussels, and shrimp on several layers of newspapers to absorb excess moisture; discard stock. Stir basil and mint into sauce and serve alongside seafood and vegetables.

   10 min