Boiled Shrimp

In response to Ray's comment, I'm planning to post more recipies and cooking related things to this blog. Last night Steph and I had a shrimp boil.

The most important thing is to not overcook the shrimp. They cook very quickly and are not very good if overdone. Five minutes is enough if you drop room temperature shrimp into boiling water. Icing them down allows the shrimp to soak up more spice without overcooking and may make them easier to peel. If you use more or less water, adjust the spices accordingly. To cook veggies like corn or potatoes, boil them first since they will take much longer, then just use the same spicy water for the shrimp.

If you have leftover shrimp, it can be refrigerated for a few days and is still quite tasty when cold.

Serves 2 to 3

4 lbs fresh gulf shrimp, head on (if you can't get head on shrimp, use 3 lbs head off)
2 qt water
1/2 cup Zatarains Crab & Shrimp Boil (dry)
2 Tbsp. Zatarains Concentrated Shrimp & Crab Boil (liquid)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
8 cups ice

Put the water in a large stock pot and add the seasonings and lemon juice. (This will have a very strong "sinus clearing" type smell, so I suggest using a vent hood if you're cooking this indoors.) Bring to a boil and put in the shrimp for 3 to 5 minutes. If you're worried about undercooking, take out a single large shrimp and inspect for doneness. Drain about half of the water out and then ice it down. Let the shrimp soak about 10 minutes or until they are spicy enough. Drain with a collender and serve.

Garlic butter:
Melt 1 stick of butter melted with 1 tsp. garlic powder.

Tartar sauce:
Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.


This goes great with texas garlic toast and cold beer.