Champagne-Marinated Shrimp Boil
A day of lazy dipping in Gulf Coast waters calls for a cold bowl of cooked shrimp dipped in a sweetsavory sauce. That’s what my mom thought, anyway, and she always had cold shrimp on hand when we stayed at the beach. I love it, too, and it’s a great do-ahead that lets you set out something for your hungry guests as soon as you step inside after a day of sand and sun. I cook the shrimp and make the dipping sauces the day before and stick ’em all in the fridge. When I pull them out, everyone thinks I’m an organized genius. (Naturally, I politely demur.) Snacking on shrimp, nobody notices if I disappear into the kitchen for a little main-course prep work. I usually figure about one-third pound per person. The shrimp usually runs out before anyone’s hunger does, but that works for me. I want my friends to have room for dinner and dessert. If I don’t feel much like cooking, I allow about one-half pound of shrimp per person for a hands-on main course. Of course, I always offer dessert, often as simple as cookies (like Vanilla Sand Dollars, page 83) and ice cream.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 12
Ingredients
Shrimp
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE SHRIMP: In a large bowl, stir together the Champagne, lemon juice, oregano, and cayenne. Add the shrimp and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours, or the shrimp could turn mushy.
Step 2
Fill a large stockpot with about 2 gallons water. Add the shrimp boil seasoning. Bring the seasoned water to a boil over high heat, add the shrimp, and return the water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer the shrimp until they turn pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the shrimp, dump them into a large bowl, and cover with ice cubes to stop the cooking. Once the shrimp are cool, drain the ice, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Step 3
Serve cold with dipping sauces.
do it early
Step 4
Cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. The red sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month, and the remoulade for about 2 weeks.
