Mardi Gras Shrimp Boil (Print View)
Festive Southern seafood feast with shrimp, Andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, and aromatic Cajun spices. Ready in 50 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 2 pounds large raw shrimp, shell-on, deveined
→ Meats
02 - 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
→ Vegetables
03 - 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
04 - 1.5 pounds small red potatoes, halved
05 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
06 - 1 lemon, sliced
→ Spices & Seasonings
07 - 1/2 cup Cajun seasoning, plus extra for serving
08 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
11 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
→ Other
12 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
13 - Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
14 - Lemon wedges for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Add Cajun seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, onion, and sliced lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat.
02 - Add potatoes to the boiling broth. Cook for 12 minutes until beginning to soften.
03 - Add corn and sausage pieces to the pot. Cook for another 8 minutes.
04 - Add shrimp to the pot and cook until pink and cooked through, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Drain the boil, discarding the cooking liquid. Transfer all ingredients to a large serving platter or spread on newspaper for traditional presentation.
06 - Drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with additional Cajun seasoning, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The communal nature of dumping everything onto newspaper makes conversations flow as naturally as the melted butter over those plump shrimp.
- No fussy plating or complicated techniques means youre actually enjoying time with guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
02 -
- Timing is everything I once overcooked the shrimp by just two minutes and they turned disappointingly rubbery.
- Layering ingredients in the correct order allows everything to finish cooking at the same time, a revelation that took me several attempts to perfect.
03 -
- Save that flavorful cooking liquid to make an incredible base for gumbo or seafood soup the next day.
- Cooking the corn in its husk and then pulling it back without detaching it creates a natural handle for eating, a trick I learned from a street vendor in New Orleans.