Rinse the seafood and pat the shrimp dry. Wash the potatoes, cut them in half, and chop the corn into three pieces each. Cut the onions into quarters, smash the garlic, and slice the lemons. Squeeze one lemon over the shrimp. Measure out your seasonings ahead of time to keep things simple later.

Fill a big stockpot halfway with water (about 3 gallons). Add Old Bay, cayenne, salt, bay leaves, onions, garlic, and two lemon halves. Bring it to a boil on high heat. The cayenne gives it a spicy kick, while the other ingredients add flavor. Let it boil for 5 minutes to get the spices working before adding anything else.

Add the potatoes and sausage to the boiling water. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes so the potatoes can soften. Then, add the corn pieces and boil for another 5 minutes. The potatoes should be soft enough to poke with a fork but not falling apart. Taste the broth—if it needs more spice, toss in a pinch of cayenne.

Put the crab legs into the pot and boil them for 8 minutes. Then, add the shrimp and cook for just 2-3 minutes, until they turn pink and start curling. Shrimp cook quickly, so don’t overdo it, or they’ll turn rubbery. Turn off the heat and let everything sit in the broth for 3 minutes to soak up the flavor. Drain everything in a colander, shaking gently to remove extra liquid.

While the seafood drains, melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until it smells great. Stir in hot sauce, paprika, black pepper, and lemon juice. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Pour half the sauce over the drained seafood and gently toss everything together. Save the rest for dipping.

Lay out some newspaper on your table. Dump the seafood, potatoes, corn, and sausage in the middle. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Put out bowls of extra sauce, lemon wedges, and hot sauce for dipping. Dive in with your hands—it’s all part of the fun!