A Cajun Seasoned Boil for a Big Party
The first thing Jared Austin did when I asked him about Lowcountry seafood boils was to set me straight.
当我向贾里德·奥斯汀询问低地海鲜疖子的情况时，他做的第一件事就是纠正我的观点。
“With all due respect,” he explained politely, “we are not Lowcountry.
“恕我直言，”他礼貌地解释道，“我们不是低地国家。
South Carolina is Lowcountry.
南卡罗来纳州是低地地区。
Sure, it’s the same basic heritage, influenced by indigenous ingredients and multiple cultures.
当然，这是相同的基本遗产，受到本土成分和多种文化的影响。
But here in New Orleans, our cooking is Cajun.”
但在新奥尔良，我们的烹饪是卡真菜。”
I was referred to Austin by a mutual friend who vouched for his mastery of the seafood boil, the Southern tradition of gathering around a newspaper-lined table to eat large amounts of boiled shellfish with your bare hands.
一位共同的朋友向我介绍了奥斯汀，他保证他对海鲜煮法的掌握，这是南方的传统，人们围坐在一张铺着报纸的桌子旁，徒手吃大量煮的贝类。
What I didn’t yet know is that Austin, 46, is also a Mississippi riverboat pilot — one of a handful of African-Americans who hold the title.
我还不知道的是，46 岁的奥斯汀也是一名密西西比河船驾驶员——少数拥有这一头衔的非裔美国人之一。
Every other week, he’s on call 24 hours a day to guide massive ships and tankers loaded with fuel and commodities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
每隔一周，他都会每天 24 小时待命，引导装载燃料和商品的大型船舶和油轮往返于巴吞鲁日和新奥尔良之间。
The rest of the time, he cooks.
其余时间，他做饭。
“I grew up in the kitchen on my mama’s hip — cooking is my passion,” he told me when I called.
“我在妈妈的厨房里长大——烹饪是我的热情，”我打电话时他告诉我。
“If I didn’t drive ships for a living, I’d be cooking all the time.”
“如果我不以开船为生，我就会一直做饭。”
I asked where he first learned about boils.
我问他从哪里第一次了解到疖子。
“As a kid, we always had crayfish boils because crayfish were dirt-cheap — maybe 80 cents a pound.” These days, he said, “the right time for a boil is any weekend when you want to get together with your friends.”
“小时候，我们总是吃小龙虾疖子，因为小龙虾非常便宜——大约 80 美分一磅。”他说，如今，“任何想与朋友聚会的周末都是最适合熬夜的时间。”
I figured Austin was talking about cooking for a dozen friends.
我猜奥斯汀正在谈论为十几个朋友做饭。
Maybe two dozen.
也许有两打。
But as he continued, I realized he’s a lot more popular than I am.
但当他继续说下去时，我意识到他比我更受欢迎。
“My brother and I used to throw a big boil every Memorial Day.
“我和我的兄弟曾经在每个阵亡将士纪念日都会大发脾气。
We did it for 12 years, and it grew every year.
我们这样做了12年，而且每年都在增长。
By 2005 — a few months before Hurricane Katrina — we were hosting 700 people.
到 2005 年（卡特里娜飓风发生前几个月），我们已经接待了 700 人。
Buses brought people in from Georgia.
公共汽车将人们从佐治亚州带进来。
We even had a three-piece jazz band playing.”
我们甚至还有一支三人爵士乐队在演奏。”
By this point, Austin was ready to start my cooking lesson.
此时，奥斯汀已经准备好开始我的烹饪课了。
Before I could protest, he switched our phone call to a video chat.
还没等我抗议，他就把我们的电话转成了视频聊天。
“Look,” he said, walking over to his pantry, “in New Orleans our boils are much more spice-forward.
“看，”他一边说，一边走向他的食品储藏室，“在新奥尔良，我们的疖子更需要香料。
We start with a seasoning mix, but then we add a lot more cayenne.”
我们从混合调味料开始，然后添加更多的辣椒。”
Was he referring to Old Bay seasoning?
他指的是老海湾调味料吗？
“No,” he corrected me again, “that’s what they use in the Chesapeake Bay.
“不，”他再次纠正我，“那是他们在切萨皮克湾使用的。
Down here, we use Zatarain’s, Louisiana or Cajun Land.” He reached for a few boxes of Louisiana, his favorite brand, from the back of a cabinet and offered to send me some.
在这里，我们使用路易斯安那州的 Zatarain 或 Cajun Land。”他从柜子后面拿出几盒他最喜欢的品牌路易斯安那啤酒，并主动提出送我一些。
While a pot of boiling water may not offer the char or smoke of a grill, it does give the cook an advantage when it comes to seasoning food.
虽然一锅沸水可能不会产生烤架的焦炭或烟雾，但它确实给厨师在调味食物时带来了优势。
But it takes more than just a sachet.
但它需要的不仅仅是一袋。
Austin starts with up to a box and a half of salt for a 100-quart pot.
奥斯汀一开始为 100 夸脱的罐子准备最多一盒半盐。
Next come the aromatics — onions, celery and lots of unpeeled garlic, which goes in early so it can soften.
接下来是芳香剂——洋葱、芹菜和大量未剥皮的大蒜，这些大蒜要提前放入，这样可以软化。
“I used to just cut lemons in half and throw them in,” he added, “but my technique has evolved — now I quarter them.”
“我以前只是把柠檬切成两半然后扔进去，”他补充道，“但我的技术已经进步了——现在我把它们切成四份。”
The recipe will work fine with any large stockpot — just don’t overfill it.
这个食谱适用于任何大汤锅——只是不要装得太满。
“The less water, the more concentrated the seasoning, and the better seasoned the food will be,” Austin added with an impish smile.
“水越少，调味料就越浓，食物的调味就越好。”奥斯汀顽皮地笑着补充道。
“Don’t be afraid of cayenne.
“别害怕辣椒。
Don’t be afraid to let your nose run.”
不要害怕让你的鼻子流鼻涕。”
As he wasn’t prescribing precise amounts, I asked if he could offer any sensory cues.
由于他没有开出精确的用量，我问他是否可以提供任何感官提示。
“Taste the water,” Austin advised as he pantomimed dipping his finger into the pot and giving it a lick.
“尝尝水的味道，”奥斯汀一边建议，一边模仿着将手指伸进锅里舔了舔。
“It should be very, very salty.
“它应该非常非常咸。
And bright orange from the cayenne, and foamy.
还有辣椒的亮橙色和泡沫。
Nothing about any of this is subtle — people standing around the pot should sneeze and cough.”
所有这些都不是微妙的——站在锅周围的人应该打喷嚏和咳嗽。”
Crayfish season lasts until about June.
小龙虾季节持续到六月左右。
In late summer, shrimp is the shellfish of choice.
夏末，虾是贝类的首选。
A successful shrimp boil requires layering ingredients into the pot so that everything is done cooking at once.
成功的虾煮需要将原料分层放入锅中，这样所有的东西都能同时煮熟。
A carefully timed choreography dictates the order in which ingredients are added to ensure no one has to eat raw potatoes or chewy shrimp.
精心安排的时间编排决定了配料的添加顺序，以确保没有人必须吃生土豆或难嚼的虾。
Starchy and dense, the potatoes take the longest to cook, so along with pieces of smoked sausage, they go into the pot first.
土豆富含淀粉且致密，需要最长的时间才能煮熟，因此它们首先与熏香肠一起放入锅中。
Only ample time in simmering water will coax the salt and spices into their flesh, seasoning them from within.
只有在水中煮足够长的时间，盐和香料才会融入果肉中，从内部调味。
Once the potatoes are nearly tender, in go the shrimp.
一旦土豆变软，就可以放入虾了。
And after a brief boil, frozen pieces of corn on the cob, which will cook through in just a few minutes.
短暂煮沸后，冷冻玉米棒子只需几分钟即可煮熟。
“It’s got the added benefit of cooling down the pot so the shrimp don’t overcook,” Austin explained.
“它还有一个额外的好处，就是可以冷却锅，这样虾就不会煮过头，”奥斯汀解释道。
I wondered if, at the peak of summer, I could briefly freeze and use fresh sweet corn for a similar effect?
我想知道，在盛夏时节，我是否可以短暂冷冻并使用新鲜的甜玉米来达到类似的效果？
“Absolutely,” he replied, “just don’t forget about the soak,” referring to the crucial resting period after cooking where ingredients continue to exchange flavor and absorb salt and spices.
“当然，”他回答道，“只是不要忘记浸泡”，指的是烹饪后关键的休息时间，在此期间，原料继续交换味道并吸收盐和香料。
“It shouldn’t taste like blanched corn.
“它的味道不应该像漂白玉米。
It’s Cajun-seasoned corn.”
这是卡津调味玉米。”
The next day, I set out to test Austin’s recipe for a dozen friends.
第二天，我开始为十几个朋友测试奥斯汀的食谱。
Nervous about getting the timing right, I sent him a text message to ensure I had the right order of operations.
由于担心时机是否正确，我给他发了一条短信，以确保我的操作顺序正确。
He coached me through the process, and then urged me to add more cayenne to the pot.
他指导我完成整个过程，然后敦促我在锅里添加更多的辣椒。
“It should clear the nose and bead a little sweat.
“它应该能清理鼻子并流出一点汗。
Yes, ‘bead’ is a verb!”
是的，‘珠子’是一个动词！”
Just as the air filled with spice and I dumped out a steaming heap of shellfish and corn, some neighbors passed by, giving me a longing look.
正当空气中充满香料，我倒出一堆热气腾腾的贝类和玉米时，一些邻居经过，向我投来渴望的目光。
I thought of the last thing Austin told me: “One of my favorite things about a boil is when people drive by.
我想起奥斯汀告诉我的最后一件事：“关于疖子，我最喜欢的事情之一就是人们开车经过时。
You can see them slowing down as they approach and the smell hits them.
你可以看到它们在靠近时放慢了速度，并且气味扑鼻而来。
You know they’re thinking, Hey, why am I not invited?”
你知道他们在想，嘿，为什么我没有被邀请？”