The odd thing is, I have had a Large jar of this for a long time (do not even know where we got it) and did not use it until a few months ago.
Old Bay
“Most folks know Old Bay for seafood boils, and for good reason. It’s salty, smoky and just enough spice to stand up to crab legs, shrimp and potatoes all simmering together. It ties the whole pot together like the final chord of a song,” said Chelsia Green Ogletree, the founder and chef at Her Majesty Kitchen in Georgia. But Ogletree emphasized that there are more ways to use the blend than just in seafood. Other chefs we talked to said this, too.
Fries are seasoned with Old Bay.
Here, they share seven unexpected ways to cook with the seasoning, proving it can be a year-round cooking staple.
1. Meat Dishes
If you’ve only ever used Old Bay to flavor seafood, one easy way to venture into using it in other ways is to use it to flavor chicken, pork or other meats. Sean Ferraro, the head chef and owner of Madison Avenue Pizza in Dunedin, Florida, said Old Bay is the signature spice for the restaurant’s chicken.
“For our seasoning blend, we [pair] Old Bay with a few extra additions and we use it for our chicken breading, our grilled chicken and dry-rub wings. It brings a well-rounded base of seasoning without being too overpowering, and it doesn’t burn on the grill or in the fryer,” he said.
Kyle Taylor, the creator of the culinary recipe brand and library He Cooks, shared that he uses Old Bay in compound butter to spread on meat once it’s done cooking. All you do to make it is mix the Old Bay with softened butter. Easy peasy.
Monique Mickle, the executive sous chef at The Darling Oyster Bay in Charleston, South Carolina, told HuffPost that she uses Old Bay in a marinade for her racks of lamb. “The use of Old Bay makes a great semi-burnt crust, and it adds a little spice to the meat. The pairing works well because both lamb and Old Bay have distinct flavors. Instead of overpowering each other, the strong flavor profiles begin to complement one another, while still leaving room to indulge in the flavors of the lamb,” she said.
2. Asian-Inspired Dishes
Sophina Uong, the executive chef and co-owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans, shared that spending a summer in Maryland inspired her to start using Old Bay in her cooking, both personally and professionally. She told HuffPost that after spending a few days snacking on Old Bay caramel popcorn, she was inspired to incorporate the combination of caramel and Old Bay in a Vietnamese-inspired sauce she was making for a pork belly dish.
“The dish is made with tender pork belly simmered in a sweet, savory caramel broth with fish sauce and coconut water. It melts in your mouth and is best over warm rice with some pickled mustard greens on the side. I like to add lemongrass and a little Old Bay to give it my own kick,” she told HuffPost.
Uong shared that she also uses Old Bay when making crab dumplings, inspired by eating Old Bay-seasoned blue crabs when she was in Maryland. “For the crab dumplings, I make an Old Bay slurry — which is when spices are toasted in oil — to replace the other seasonings,” she said.
3. Fries And Popcorn
If you’re from the mid-Atlantic, you may be no stranger to Old Bay-seasoned popcorn or french fries, but if you live elsewhere in the country, it may have never dawned on you to use the blend in this way. But it’s a go-to for several of the chefs we talked to, including Taylor. But he emphasized that a little goes a long way, so resist a heavy hand.
“We offer a ‘tossed in Old Bay’ option for our hand-cut fries on our menu, and I’ve also used it on burgers and on oven-roasted potatoes,” said Ferraro. Remember, just a sprinkle is enough to add flavor.
4. Street Corn
“I love using Old Bay on Southern-style street corn,” said Omar Collazo, the executive chef at Omni Amelia Island Resort in northeastern Florida. To use it this way, he said, coat sweet corn in mayonnaise, lemon zest, Parmesan and fresh dill before sprinkling on Old Bay as a final touch. “The warming spices play beautifully with the sweetness of the corn, while the lemon zest adds brightness and the dill adds a fresh herbal lift. It’s a unique twist that surprises people in the best way,” he said.
5. Hashbrowns
Old Bay for brunch? Absolutely. Similarly to how the spice blend works well on french fries, Ogletree said one of her favorite ways to use Old Bay is in her cheese-loaded hashbrown casserole. “Potatoes are like a blank canvas, and Old Bay paints them with depth. You get the creamy comfort of cheese and sour cream, then that little spark of seasoning that makes people pause mid-bite and say, ‘Hold on, what’s in this?’ I tried it on a whim, chasing that seafood-boil flavor I love, and it just worked. Now, it’s a staple on my brunch table,” she said.
While the exact recipe hasn't been disclosed, Old Bay contains celery salt, red pepper, black pepper, paprika and a number of other spices that combine to make a distinct flavor.
While the exact recipe hasn't been disclosed, Old Bay contains celery salt, red pepper, black pepper, paprika and a number of other spices that combine to make a distinct flavor.
6. Bloody Marys And Margaritas
Besides spicing up your food, Old Bay can give some extra oomph to your cocktails. Taylor said that he likes to use it to rim the glasses of margaritas and bloody marys. Collazo likes using it to rim a bloody mary glass, too. “It adds a savory kick and just the right amount of spice to complement the drink’s bold flavors,” he said.
7. Chocolate Desserts
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Old Bay’s blend mixture of savory, salty and slightly sweet can give a welcome kick in dishes people least expect it, like chocolate-based desserts — one way Michelle Wallace, a “Top Chef” Season 21 contestant and the chef, owner and pitmaster at B’tween Sandwich Co. in Houston, likes to use it.
“I’ve used Old Bay in chocolate ganache before and it worked wonderfully,” Wallace said. She explained that she wanted to give the dessert a kick but wanted an ingredient with more layered flavor than dried chilis. “I know chocolate isn’t the first thing that you think of when you’re planning on using Old Bay, but the slight sweetness and the warm spices that are in the blend make it perfect for pairing with chocolate,” she said.
As you can see, there are way more uses for Old Bay than seasoning seafood. Especially when it comes to foods that can taste pretty bland on their own (like chicken, popcorn or potatoes), a pinch of Old Bay can add a whole lot of flavor. It’s certainly easier than reaching for 18 different spices.
