Shrimp Boil

When we go to the beach (which is not every year), we rent a condo or house, and eat all but a few dinner meals in. Each year we make a list of all the good, yet easy dinner menus, which usually includes lasagna and this year, spicy spaghetti. Sometimes we order pizza and usually go out for a good seafood meal, once or twice.

This year we added a new dinner meal. We had a magnificent shrimp boil. It was absolutely wonderful and so appropriate for the beach. It was even easier than I thought it would be, and very good. We took a large deep pan from home that we used as a grocery carrier and then on "shrimp boil day," went to the fish market and bought some fresh shrimp. We purchased a half pound per person.

We then layered the pan with potatoes covered with water and a bag of Old Bay Shrimp boil spice, about a quarter to half cup of Louisiana Craw fish, Crab and Shrimp Boil spices (depending on how spicy you like your food, it can be hot), salt and pepper to taste, corn, onions, smoked sausage and topped it off with shrimp and had a wonderful meal.

After the shrimp turns pink, drain it all into a colander and if you can, pour onto newspapers out on the deck. If you can't, pour onto platters and have plenty of napkins and "peeling plates" ready for the shrimp shells.

That is the basic recipe. Be sure to add the potatoes first and bring them to a boil, then layer on the other ingredients, making sure things come back to a boil and everything has cooked thoroughly before adding the shrimp, which cooks quickly.

We had leftovers for lunch the next day after coming in from the beach -- so good. Where is the sausage? Unfortunately, it is underneath the shrimp (I don't think I will have anyone knocking on my door asking me to style their food for photos! Oops.) Yes, that is the ocean on the top right-hand corner of the photo.