Shrimp Boil

One of my favorite things about living in Houston is the close proximity to fresh Gulf seafood.  I LOVE seafood…especially shrimp.  Recently, Q and I took the kids down to Kemah, a nearby fishing town where you can buy fresh seafood at many markets right off of the nearby Kemah Boardwalk.  Kemah is a very small town, but with the addition of the boardwalk, there’s a lot to do besides shopping for seafood.  The boardwalk hosts a slew of waterfront restaurants, a small amusement park, quaint boutiques and shops, and other family-friendly sights to see and things to do.

Back to my favorite part…the shrimp!  We bought 3 pounds of shrimp that day for our family’s little shrimp boil.  There’s not much room in the RV fridge for leftovers, so we just bought what we thought we would eat.

M

y favorite seafood boil is Slap Ya Mama…it’s soooo good!  I love the hot and spicy Cajun flavors that make up this great seasoning blend.  This 1 lb package makes up to 12 pounds of boiled shrimp, so a little goes a long way.

You’ll need a large stock pot for this concoction and you might want to open a window to let out some of the pungent spicy aroma that fills the air.

Fill your pot about 3/4 full of water and bring to a rolling boil.  Add  the desired amount of seasoning along with 2 squeezed lemons and 4 crushed cloves of garlic.

Once water mixture is boiling, add shrimp and bring back to a boil.  Boil for about 4 minutes.  Strain off cooked shrimp and place into a large bowl or ice chest and sprinkle with additional seafood boil (to taste), close the lid and/or cover the bowl and let steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring seasoned water back to a boil and add about 2 pounds washed new potatoes (left whole) and 8 to 12 ears of mini corn on the cob (I like Birds Eye  the best for frozen corn).

Boil potatoes over medium-high heat for about 12 to 15 minutes or until fork-tender; remove potatoes to a large serving bowl, then add the corn and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes to heat the corn through.  Remove corn to bowl with potatoes and toss gently with about 4 tablespoons butter.  The corn and potatoes will absorb a lot of the shrimp boil spices, so be ready for some zesty corn and potatoes that pack a punch!

We had a great meal and can’t wait to do it again…I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it as much as we did!

Jennifer Locklin is the writer of Jane Deere, a vibrant food blog that features all kinds of recipes from home cooking to foods from around the world. She is passionate about cooking and food photography.
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