Classic Shrimp Boil

45 minutes/easy/serves 6

nutrition per serving:

480 calories, 45g protein, 36g carbs, 19g fat, 7g sugar

ingredients

• 12 cups water

• 3 lemons

• 1/2 -3/4 cup of Old Bay seasoning

• 6 cloves of garlic smashed or 3 teaspoons of minced garlic

• 1 yellow or Vidalia onion, peeled and cut into 6 pieces

• 6 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved*

• 4 ears of corn on the cob (raw, cut into 4 inch pieces)

• 1 pound of andouille sausage, cut into 2-3 inch pieces*

• 1 pound of raw shrimp*

• 3 tablespoons of butter

• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

directions

1. Cut 2 of the lemons into quarters. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and reserve the wedges for garnishing at the end.
2. Fill a large pot with 12 cups of water. Place the 2 quartered lemons in the water along with the Old Bay seasoning, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 10-12 minutes or until just tender (test the potatoes tenderness with a fork).
4. Add the corn and sausage and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You will start to smell the corn when it’s time to move to the next step.
5. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until pink and opaque. Do NOT overcook the shrimp!
6. Scoop out 1 cup of broth.
7. Drain the shrimp mixture from the pot.
8. After draining, dump the entire pot of goodness into a big serving bowl.
9. Melt the butter (in a microwave or in a small pan on the stove) and whisk it into the reserved broth.
10. Pour this broth/butter mixture over the bowl of goodness.
11. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay seasoning to taste, then serve.

notes

*Use whatever kind of onion you like. I use a Vidalia onion and keep the pieces big because I want to eat them alongside the other delicious ingredients! If you don’t care for onions on their own, use a yellow onion and just ignore the onion pieces when it’s time to eat. Don’t leave the onion out of this recipe, though! You will need the onion to round out the flavors in the broth.  Put the onion pieces aside after they are cooked and I will eat them for ya. 😊

*Use whatever kind of potatoes you like. I like the Yukon gold potatoes halved (and you can quarter them if they are big potatoes). Yukons are so creamy and really add a great bite to this dish.

*I use whole raw shrimp in this dish. The shells add such a wonderful flavor to the broth while it’s cooking! You will have to peel the shrimp as you eat, but I don’t mind getting my hands dirty with this dish. You can use peeled and deveined shrimp or you can leave just the tails on. I’ve seen this dish all sorts of ways. Up to you! And use JUMBO shrimp. Trust me.

*Use andouille sausage or kielbasa. Any kind of smoked sausage. But andouille sausage is my choice – the smoky flavor really stands up to the sweetness of the corn and onions and the punch of the Old Bay seasoning.