Shrimp Boil
Seafood boils are a mainstay of Southern cooking, the type of shellfish varying by region. Shrimp boils are most commonly associated with Low Country (South Carolina) cooking, while crawfish is a specialty of Louisiana. In most of these one-pot dishes, new potatoes and corncobs (and sometimes onion wedges and sausages) are first cooked in the pot, often on the grill, and the shellfish added at the end. Then everything is piled onto a platter and served with lemon wedges, melted butter, and hot sauce on the side. Despite the name of the preparation, shrimp shouldn’t actually be boiled (or even poached), since they will toughen if overcooked. And the point at which they turn from perfectly cooked to overcooked is very hard to detect when in boiling water. Here, the cooking water is spiked with a few simple aromatics, but you could use Old Bay Seasoning (follow the suggestions on the package for the amount) for classic peel-and-eat shrimp. Or replace the water with Court Bouillon (page 231). Serve chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce (recipe below) or as an ingredient in salads.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
COMBINE THE WATER with carrot, celery, lemon juice and reserved lemon half, thyme, peppercorns, and a generous amount of salt, in a large (5-quart) stockpot. Bring to a rolling boil, then add shrimp. When the water is almost at a boil again, which should take about 1 1/2 minutes, the shrimp should be bright pink and curled; immediately remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, and serve.
Step 2
If you plan on serving the shrimp cold, in shrimp cocktail or salad, immediately shock them in an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Peel and devein, if desired (page 122). Chill in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve, up to 1 day.
fresh cocktail sauce
Step 3
Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash 1 small garlic clove with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt to form a paste. Pulse 2 coarsely chopped medium tomatoes (1 3/4 cups) in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Transfer to a fine mesh sieve and let drain for 10 minutes, reserving liquid. Return tomatoes to food processor. Add 4 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated horseradish (or to taste), 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (or to taste), 1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or to taste), and the garlic paste. Pulse to combine. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and process until combined. Add up to 1/4 cup reserved liquid to mixture to adjust to desired consistency. Chill until ready to serve. (Makes about 3/4 cup)
ingredients
Step 4
Cooking the shrimp in their shells will increase the flavor—and is necessary for peel-and-eat servings. But when used in salads or shrimp cocktail, the shrimp will have a neater appearance if peeled and deveined before cooking (the shells slip off easier when raw).
