CK'S KITCHEN: Shrimp boil

Craving seafood as the starring ingredient for a big-deal dinner (BDD) with my boyfriend led me to this recipe for a southern shrimp boil, a one-pan delight of summer. But first, I should explain what a BDD means to me; it's a special meal you research and plan days in advance and one that is often inspired by a new recipe that requires ingredients that will send you to the store, at least once and often twice (spoiler alert). Together for just over a year, some may say he and I are still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, but because one of our love languages is exploring new foods and recipes to make and enjoy together, I don't expect this culinary team effort to drop off anytime soon and I love that about us. Not my kitchen Since we don't live together, cooking in his kitchen is an entirely different experience than cooking in mine. I have just about every gadget and utensil you could want, and if I don't have it, I'm buying it stat. He makes do and often finds resourceful workarounds. He grabbed most of the ingredients: shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, red potatoes, and red onions. I brought garlic and fresh parsley and lemon thyme from my garden along with my container of Old Bay. At step 1, we realized I only had about half of the Old Bay seasoning we needed, and no substitute in sight since it would require at least 11 spices with one of the key being celery salt, which he didn't have. (I had it at my house) So off to the store we went. Starved, we picked up the Old Bay, along with Sun Chips (to eat in the car), two kinds of ice cream for dessert and a waffle mix for our upcoming vacation. Six served four Once we returned from the store, we got the boil going in no time. By 8:30 p.m., we were spooning out the dinner onto a platter for the four of us, including his two teenagers. While the recipe says it serves six, it certainly doesn't factor in two young men, 13 and 17, one of whom just returned from an eight-mile run. We all loved the shrimp, the sausage, the corn, and the delightful broth that we all happily dipped our biscuits into … so good. We will definitely make again, and I highly recommend you make it too! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. Shrimp boil 4 quarts hot water 1 large red onion or yellow onion, sliced into 4-6 wedges 1 garlic bulb (whole head), halved horizontally 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp dried) 1 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes, cut into fourths Salt and pepper to taste 4 ears corn, husked, cut onto fourths or broken into halves 14 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, deveined, peeled if preferred 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1. Fill a large pot (about 12 quart) with 4 quarts of water. Stir in onion, garlic, Old Bay seasoning and thyme. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. 2. Add potatoes and season with salt. Let cook until potatoes are about nearing tender, about 10-15 minutes. 3. Add corn and continue to cook 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook 4 minutes longer. 4. Gently stir in shrimp and cook until just opaque and pink, about 1-2 minutes. 5. Drain mixture (you can reserve 1/4 cup of the broth if you'd like for serving). Spread over an extra-large serving platter or a baking sheet. 6. Drizzle with butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley, Old Bay seasoning and pepper to taste, and serve warm. Makes six servings SOURCE: cookingclassy.com