DESCRIPTION
Shrimp boils are a classic festive meal to share with a group. They’re really fun and easy to make at home anytime you need to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 whole lemons, plus 2 more lemons cut into wedges for serving
- 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
- 12 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 3 large onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 and 1/2 lbs. whole small red potatoes, cut any that are a bit bigger in half
- 16 ounces andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 12–16 pieces
- 6 cobs of corn, shucked and broken in half
- 3 lbs. large (count: 31-35/lb) shrimp (deveined and either shell off or easy-peel)
- 3 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces*
- 1 bottle of hot sauce
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 6 quarts of water.
- Cut the whole lemons in half. Squeeze the juice into the water and add the squeezed lemon halves as well.
- Add the Old Bay, garlic cloves, onion, and salt.
- Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes. Cover and cook until they’re just tender, 9-10 minutes.
- Add the sausage and corn. Cook covered for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook covered until pink, 2-3 minutes.
- Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the butter to the liquid and stir until it melts.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp, sausage, and vegetables to a large platter.
- Drizzle with the butter mixture.
- To Serve: Line the dining table with plastic garbage bags and cover that with sheets of newspaper. Pile the shrimp, sausage and vegetables right on the paper, or leave everything on the platter. Put out the lemon wedges and a bottle of hot sauce. Let everyone know to use the lemon wedges, hot sauce, and squeezed garlic cloves as condiments. Make sure there are a lot of napkins on hand before you dig in!
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Notes
*Note: The butter is going to be mixed with some cooking liquid to make a quick light sauce to drizzle over everything before serving. If you’d also like butter as a dip for the shrimp and veggies, melt an additional 1/2 cup of butter and add cloves of minced garlic to it. Taste and add salt, if desired.