2lb Medium size Shrimp, unpeeled
6 Blue Crab or local fare
3lb Red skin Potatoes
2lb Smoked sausage, Kielbasa or Andouille, cut into 2 in. pieces
4ears Sweet corn, halved
Med Onions, peeled and quartered
Seasonings: "HARD WAY"
2tsp Black peppercorns
2tsp Mustard seeds
2tsp Dill seeds
2tsp Coriander seeds
2tsp Whole cloves
3Whole Bay leaves
1small Piece of fresh ginger
1tsp Cayenne Pepper
2Tbl Coarse salt
Make this Spicy by sprinkling Chef
Johnny's Swamp Fire
on shrimp as soon
as they come out of the water!
Place all of the seasonings in a large piece of cheesecloth and gather the cloth just above the seasoning mix to make a ball and tie the remaining cloth into a knot. Cut off the excess leaving about three inches above the knot so the bag will not come open during use. If available,Crab Boil seasoning packages are easier to use than purchasing all of the ingredients to make your own crab boil mixture. These usually come in 3oz. Bags and are quite good.
First, you must have a large stockpot. Most of us have the standard
8 quart pot, however, if you are to get into the habit of doing a boil, a larger pot (10 to 12 quart) is much more useful. These large pots are also great for making family sized batches of Gumbo.
Bring 6 to 8 quarts, depending on the size of pot, of water to boil. Add the seasoning or the purchased seasoning package. Add the potatoes and return to a boil and allow to cook about 10 minutes. Add the sausage, sweet corn and onions returning again to a boil. Cook 10 additional minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the potatoes, corn and sausage with a large slotted spoon. Add the shrimp and or crabs
and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Shrimp will turn pink when cooked. Using a slotted
spoon, first remove the shrimp and then the crabs. Arrange everything on a large serving platter to make a great table effect. Serve with cocktail sauce, French bread and lots of your favorite beverage!
© Chef Johnny 2000