Louisiana Boil

So, the Gators played Louisiana State University yesterday in a very important football game. Truth be told, I had no interest in the game itself, but just hearing the name "LSU" countless of times on ESPN made me seriously crave a Louisiana-style boil. If you'll recall, something similar happened last summer. I'm sure it means something that I associate everything with food, but thankfully, I don't care what that "something" is so long as it keep inspiring me to cook.

Louisiana-style boils are so simple to make and actually quite cost efficient. Here's what went into mine (I got the basis for this recipe from Old Bay itself), but you can certainly add whatever seafood suits you.

1 Hillshire Farms smoked sausage ring (about 1 lb.)
2 lbs. large shrimp (peel still on)
4 ears of corn, cut in half (I just bought these frozen)
1/2 bag baby new potatoes, cut in half
1/2 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
2 bottles of beers
2 Tbs. salt
10 cups water

If you have fresh corn, you're good to go, but in the event that you bought frozen corn like me, just make sure that it's thawed before you begin. I just left mine on the countertop for about 3 hours before I started cooking.

First, get your beer, water, Old Bay and salt going and bring it up to a boil in a large stock pot. We're actually going to stay at a boil (hence the name). Your first ingredients to go in are your potatoes and onion wedges. Cook these guys for about 8 minutes or so.

Next, throw in your sausage and corn. Since your sausage is already cooked, you're just heating it through and giving it flavor. Boil for another 7 minutes.

Finally, add in your shrimp and let everything cook together for another 4 minutes. Yup, it's just that simple and that fast.

Now, just drain off the liquid and serve it up either in a large bowl or if you happen to be outdoors, just line your table with newspaper and dump it out on that (which is the traditional way). This is what our table looks like when we're ready to eat.



We've got a plate for both me and the Irishman; a bowl in between for the shrimp shells; a couple of ramekins of melted butter and a sliced lemon for the shrimp. A huge baguette would have also been wonderful here. Then, you're ready to dig in!

Talk about a flavor explosion here. It's spicy enough to be interesting, but not so spicy as to prevent Parker from enjoying it as well. The corn is amazingly flavorful and makes me question why I don't boil it in Old Bay on a regular basis. The peel left on the shrimp helps absorb that delicious flavor and getting your hands dirty peeling it is half of the fun. Oh and the Irishman said that the sausage was delish as well, but of course, I didn't have any of that.

This Louisiana boil would easily feed a family of 4-6. We all three ate big helpings and we have a ton leftover. I have to say, I'm annoyed at myself for not thinking of making this while brother Dean was here because this volume of food would have been right up his alley.

So good folks, the next time that you're in the mood for a little bayou, give this one a go. It won't disappoint.