shrimp boil

prep time: 30 minutes      cook time: 1 hour       total time: 1.5 hours      yields 6-8 servings

personal notes

• double the recipe for 18 people (13 adults, 5 kids)
• marinate potatoes for at least 1-2 hours
• collect large trash bags and newspaper to cover the tables for easy clean-up
• use your fingers to eat the finished product, so dishes and silverware don’t have to be used

ingredients
water
2 lemons (can slice some extra to be used when serving)
3 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1/4 c crab boil seasoning (recommended: old bay seasoning)
1/2 bunch thyme, tied together (i just used dried thyme and it worked fine)
1 onion, sliced
red pepper flakes, add to desired spiciness
1 head of garlic, halved
1 lb 5 oz red new potatoes, cut in eighths
4 ears of corn, cut in thirds
1 lb smoked sausage (andouille or kielbasa) cut into 1-inch pieces
2 lbs jumbo shrimp (with heads and tails)
kosher salt

directions

1. fill a huge stockpot, 1/3 of the way, with water. keep in mind that when you add the solid ingredients, the water level will rise, so don’t fill the pot up more than halfway.
2. squeeze the lemons into the water.
3. add the bay leaves, salt, old bay seasoning, thyme, onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
4. throw the potatoes into the water to marinate for at least an hour or two: the longer you let the potatoes marinate, the more tasty the potatoes will be.
5. bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes.
6. you want a very aromatic broth with plenty of salt and spices. taste it every so often: don’t be afraid to make it strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the other ingredients. adjust seasoning with salt.
7. after the potatoes are just about cooked through, add the corn and sausage. cook for another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with liquid.
8. toss in the shrimp and shut off the heat. cover the pots and let the shrimp steep in the flavor for 15 minutes.
9. drain and spread the shrimp, sausage corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table.
10. serve with lemons and plenty of napkins !

source