Old Bay Seasoning

As a proud old ex-Baltimoron myself, I can tell you Old Bay is indispensable. It is considered the kitchen basic and a yellow can sits in every cupboard back home. I keep an extra large container on hand. Its uses are myriad.
Try it on popcorn.
 
I will once again make a display of my ignorance! I'd never heard of this stuff until a friend of ours (a professional chef) published her crab cake recipe in a local newspaper. I can't find any fault with it. Now I guess I'll have to try some Zatarain's, too!
 
I'm not sure why anyone would use Old Bay to flavor crabs when they could purchase Zatarain's. :wub:
But it's fascinating information, donna, thanks for telling us about it.
I think Old Bay has been around long before Zatarain's and as Old Bay is from the Baltimore area they no the right way to fix crabs up there.
 
Old Bay Seasoning was first made by Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant in the early 1940s. It was produced in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship that piled the waters of the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Norfolk, Va. in the early 1900s.

Gustav Brunn's Company became the Old Bay Company. The seasoning was sold in an unique yellow can container. The Company was later purchased by McCormick. McCormick still offers it in the classic yellow container.

The mixture contains celery salt, bay leaf, mustard seed, both black and red pepper, cinnamon and ginger. It is used mostly to flavor crab and shrimp. However, my Granddad always used it in his Fried Catfish recipe, which I have posted on before. See http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fried-catfish.74687/
Old Bay is ubiquitous in the Chesapeake region it is even used on egg dishes and salads.
 
I'm not sure why anyone would use Old Bay to flavor crabs when they could purchase Zatarain's. :wub:
But it's fascinating information, donna, thanks for telling us about it.

I use a bottle of whole Bay leaves and Zatarain's in my crawfish boil
 
I going to use a tad (a large tad) of Old Bay here in just a little while on a pot full of fresh gulf shrimp...ah, life is good.
 
Old Bay was rarely used on Long Island until the 1990s. Now it is often put on fries and potato chips at hipper spots.
 
I use Old Bay for a lot of my seafood recipes. It is an indispensable ingredient. It adds a very nice flavor to any seafood dish. David.
 
Old Bay Seasoning was first made by Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant in the early 1940s. It was produced in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship that piled the waters of the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Norfolk, Va. in the early 1900s.

Gustav Brunn's Company became the Old Bay Company. The seasoning was sold in an unique yellow can container. The Company was later purchased by McCormick. McCormick still offers it in the classic yellow container.

The mixture contains celery salt, bay leaf, mustard seed, both black and red pepper, cinnamon and ginger. It is used mostly to flavor crab and shrimp. However, my Granddad always used it in his Fried Catfish recipe, which I have posted on before. See http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fried-catfish.74687/
I like to use Old Bay plus Bisquick to make cheddar biscuits which are like the ones at Red Lobster. Only reason to go to Red Lobster is those biscuits!
We live on the gulf coast of Texas & eat some kind of seafood every Friday. Here's a favorite.

Shrimp Cole Slaw
1 1/2 lb 36-40 raw shrimp
2 pkgs Dole SlawVegetables
Blue Plate Mayonnaise
1tsp celery seed
1 tap garlic powder
1 lemon quartered
salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Box of Butter Crackers or Saltines


Start a big pan of cold water with about 3-4 tbsp of Old Bay (salty like the sea) & your lemon wedges squeezed, put the lemon in the pot. Let it boil about 15 minutes so all the Old Bay will completely join with the water. Taste your water, if not salty enough put Abt a tsp of regular salt.
Add your shrimp raw & still in the shell & boil about 5 minutes & turns a dk pink. Remove immediately from the hot water & cool.
While boiling & cooling make your slaw with the remaining ingredients. The spices & mayo will be to your liking. Peel & devein shrimp, cut in 1/3 pcs. Add to slaw, chill at least an hour. Remember when assembling the slaw that the shrimp will add salt. So I wait to finish seasoning til I've added shrimp.
Serve with crackers.

 
I put it in my aftershave when I go through Maryland. Get many compliments close to Baltimore.
:rofl:

Old Bay is very good, but it's for Chesapeake & Mid Atlantic Coast crabs.
And yeah, it also shows-up down here quite often.

Zatarain's is uniquely New Orleans/Gulf of Mexico states.

"Shrimp boils" are the first thing I think about ... when I hear Zatarain's.
:hungry:

Now I need to listen to some classic Jimmy Buffet.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top