A Taste Of Old Bay

Every kitchen should have Old Bay Seasoning in its' spice rack. This is a truly versatile blend of peppers and salts and it can go on anything. It's not just for crab legs and shrimp but for meats , poultry and even veggies.

I recently used this the other week on Gardein's fish fillets. The flavor enhanced the seafood and left a light delicate flavor. Being impressed I looked into the blend's history as well as recipe and discovered its' interesting history as well as some equally interesting recipes.Most associate Old Bay with Maryland and the crab industry and they would be right. Yet it was created only as recently as 1939 , thanks to a German immigrant, Gustav Brunn, fleeing the Nazis in late 1930's . He ironically came from the landlocked city of Bastheim, near Frankfurt. with only a spice grinder. Herr Brunn settled in Baltimore and started the Baltimore Spice Company and soon after the most famous offering was created. It was and still is just a simple blend of celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika, The name came from The Old Bay Line,  a passenger ship line that sailed on the Chesapeake Bay, from Baltimore to Norfolk , Virginia in the early 1900's. Primarily it was used just on crab legs, mainly to season the water in which the crabs were boiled.

Now Old Bay can be used on anything and everything. You can still use it on seafood and may home chefs use it in both crab salad and crab cakes. Two teaspoons can thoroughly season a pound of lump crab meat. Additional Old Bay can be sprinkled on for a dash of more flavor and color. Bake the crab legs brushed with melted butter and a generous sprinkle of the seasoning. Lobster can also be spiked with it for taste and color. giving the meat a lovely coral color. If you're not into seafood then try Old Bay with eggs. Sprinkle over eggs sunnyside up or on top of  Eggs Benedict. Remember to add it to the accompanying Bloody Mary on the last. Old Bay can also be part of a tangy barbecue sauce for chicken. Mix it into ketchup, cider vinegar, dark honey or brown sugar. Before grilling oil the chicken and brush on a layer of the spices then, add the barbecue sauce. reserve some for dipping. This would also make a great sauce for chicken nuggets and tenders too. Grilled veggies can also benefit from a dusting of Old Bay. Mix a tablespoon of it  with either olive or vegetable oil in a bowl, add cut up eggplant, squash and bell peppers to it, Grill in a basket or thread on skewers and grill.

Old Bay Seasoning is the must have in every kitchen. Have a container of it for not just seafood but for other meats and veggies. It's not just for crab , shrimp and lobster.It's for everything!!!!