Whether you use it as a noun or a verb, shrimp boil is a word combo that many will be happy to hear. This is a flavorful regional dish enjoyed from the mid-Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. This dish is commonly cooked over propane flames in very tall pots and the must-have ingredients are potatoes, corn, and, of course, shrimpy goodness, with many optional ingredient variations to choose from.
The Key to the Perfect Shrimp Boil
Once the ingredients are chosen, such as corn, potatoes, shrimp, Old Bay spice mix, and delicious Italian sausage, it’s time to reveal the real trick to getting that sought-after flavor. It all comes down to the flavorful cooking liquor. Use alliums, lemons, and spices to design the flavor that suits your taste. Add to that a bottle of clam juice and a bottle of white wine, and the boil will build up an amazing flavor.
The Delicate Nuances of This Recipe
Use large shrimp and keep them in the shell to prevent overcooking. The shells also add a bit of flavor to both the broth and the meat. You don’t want anything to overcook, so the timing needs to be just right. Add the potatoes and corn to the boil first, as they take longer to cook. Follow that up with the sausage, and add the crustaceans last. Feel free to customize the flavor to your liking. This dish is often served by covering the table in a couple of layers of newspaper and serving all the cooked and drained ingredients spread on top of it.
Prepare the Cajun Spice Butter and Prep the Cooking Liquor
The best part of eating a shrimp boil is having a delicious seasoned buttery coating on top of each morsel. To make delicious Cajun seasoning butter, melt some butter and infuse it with Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, salt, hot sauce, and garlic. Remember to keep it covered so it stays warm.
Time for Boiling
In a tall pot, bring water to a boil, combined with wine, onion, garlic heads, clam juice, bay leaves, thyme, quartered lemons, and salt. You can also add crab boil packets for extra flavor. Put the fitted strainer into the cooking pot that’s full of boiling cooking liquor. In stages, add the potatoes, then the corn, followed by the sausage, and lastly, shrimp.
The Final Touches
When everything’s cooked, lift the strainer out of the cooking pot slowly, letting all the liquids drain out. You can discard the liquid. Transfer the strained potatoes, sausage, corn, and shrimp to a big, heat-proof bowl and add the Cajun seasoning butter you prepared earlier. Toss well to coat every bite. It’s ready to serve!