Shrimp Boil
I spent some time living on the coast in the south where I fell in love with seafood boils. It's common to cover a table with newspaper and pour the contents down the middle of the table = no dishes to clean up! We don't get the newspaper and I'm not sure how I feel about my meal sitting on newspaper ink, but it's an option. You could also cover the table with a more food safe paper. This simple one pot meal is a fun option for easy entertaining, or a campout. A shrimp boil is sheer perfection for a casual outdoor summer meal.
Shrimp Boil
Serves 5
4 quarts water
2 lemons, halved
4 Tbsp. RealTaste Elevate Cajun seasoning
4 tsp. Sea Salt
2 onions, quartered
2 whole garlic bulbs, cut in half horizontally
2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into large chunks, if they're not small
6 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut into half or thirds
1 pound high quality, nitrate free organic sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces, optional
2 pounds wild caught large shrimp, shell on
Lemon wedges, butter sauce and additional Elevate, optional
1. Pour water into an extra large pot. Squeeze lemon juice into the water and then place lemon halves in the pot. Add Elevate, salt, onions, garlic and potatoes.
2. Bring to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add corn and sausage. Bring to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Turn off heat. Add shrimp, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Drain liquid and dump contents onto a platter.
6. Serve with this butter sauce, lemon wedges and additional Elevate, if desired.
NOTES
Serve this with plenty of napkins and this butter sauce for pure dipping perfection.
Side suggestions: watermelon, whole grain salad, or a green salad and a mango lassi for an easy dessert.
This is a fairly mild shrimp boil, if you like more heat, add more Elevate and salt just to taste.
You can substitute whole crab broken into pieces, or clams in place of part of the shrimp, or sausage. Crab and clams are heavier than shrimp due to their more dense shells, go ahead and guestimate the amount to substitute; this is a very flexible meal. Add crab or clams when you add the corn.
I like to use shrimp with veins removed prior to cooking.
