There are two famous quotes from the film “Forrest Gump,” of which one is “the box of chocolates” line we all know and love. The other is when Bubba says, “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it…” He goes on to list about 30 more cooking styles.
If you notice when driving over the bridges of the Keys during this cooler weather, you’ll see many boats out with lights in the water. These boats are shrimping, one of the best recreational activities we have down here, and locals love it. What do you do when you find yourself with pounds of shrimp? I have to call in the cavalry and hope they have appetites.
I know the Keys is as south as it goes, but we aren’t actually considered southerners to most of America. I mean do you blame them? Good sweet tea is rare down here. A real southern low country shrimp boil, you’ll be more familiar with in Louisiana and the surrounding areas. However, just because we’re in the Keys doesn’t mean we can’t have a little seafood boil ourselves. Find the biggest pot you can and invite friends and family over.
Now you know the saying “less is more?” That is not the case in a seafood boil. More is more. As much seasoning as you think is enough, triple that. I personally like my boil with corn on the cob, red onions, red potatoes, garlic bulbs, andouille sausage and of course the shrimp. Many people add in other varieties of shellfish as well.
A shrimp boil might seem like a set-it-and-forget-it type of deal but that’s not the case. Everything needs to be put in through stages. I start with sautéing loads of butter, onion, garlic and massive amounts of herbs until fragrant. Then I fill the pot with as much beer as I have in the house, orange juice and the remainder of the pot with water. I also add in loads of Old Bay and multiple packs of seafood boil seasoning. The liquid needs to be as flavorful as possible to infuse all the star ingredients.
Once boiling, add in quartered potatoes since they take much longer than everything else. I let that boil for roughly 10 minutes. Next, I add in all the ingredients you have left except the shrimp. I let that roll for another 10 minutes. The final stage is the shrimp; remember, they don’t take very long so don’t overcook them. I’m talking maybe two minutes of boiling time. In the real south, they leave the heads on the shrimp or crawfish; I do or don’t, but I always leave the shells on – that’s where the flavor is. I then set up a massive table covered in plastic and newspaper. I put out multiple ramekins of melted butter and tons of lemon wedges. I pour the seafood boil on top and immediately drown it in more butter, fistfuls of parsley, tons of Old Bay and lemon squeezes.
My whole family gathers around and we get goin’. I make sure there’s plenty of garbage cans so everyone can dispose of their shells as they go. Whether you’re catching your own shrimp while the gettin’s good or just headed to the fisheries to buy some, get out of your comfort zone and try a southern seafood boil.
