It’s Labor Day, which pretty much marks the end of summer. School has start, pumpkin spice lattes are back, and the weather is a bit cooler (for now). To mark the end of summer, I’ve got a recipe for an Old Bay shrimp boil. I think it’s a pretty great end of summer transition meal. It’s perfect for dumping out on a table during a barbecue on a hot summer day. However, it’s also lovely bubbling on your stove and served in a bowl to warm you up on a slightly crisp fall day.
I’m from Maryland, so it’s no surprise that I love seafood and Old Bay seasoning
And I’ll be honest, sometimes seafood can be pretty expensive. I am crazy for peel and eat shrimp (I ate a pound of it by myself on vacation) but it’s not cheap. This shrimp boil though can go pretty far without breaking the bank because of the addition of corn, potatoes, and sausage. Each bowl-full has a lot going on, so you don’t need a ton of shrimp to satisfy. You get just enough seafood alongside other hearty yummy foods.
My biggest endorsement for this recipe is that it is so simple to make. All you do is chuck everything into a pot at various intervals and just let it happily simmer away. It’s low maintenance for a party or even for weeknight dinner. Best part? You don’t even have to use dishes if you don’t want to. Cover your table in newspaper, drain the pot and bring it to the table, dump it all out, and dig in. Could not be easier!
I do have one important recommendation. It’s vital. Use the biggest pot that you have when making this recipe. I used a 5 1/2 quart Dutch Oven and it was barely big enough. Everything was bubbling right up to the edge of pot. I was lucky and it didn’t overflow. So learn from me and use the biggest pot available!
Adapted from OldBay.com.
Messy level: If you use a large enough pot, the cooking should not be messy. The messiest part is the eating. This is a meal best eaten with your bare hands, so be sure to have a lot of paper towels handy.
- 8 cups/ 2 quarts water
- 12 ounces/ 355 ml beer
- ¼ cup/ 85 gramsOld Bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 medium red potatoes quartered
- 1 large onions cut into large chunks
- ½ pound smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4-6 ears fresh corn shucked and cut into 3" pieces
- 2 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp
- In a very large pot, bring water, beer, Old Bay, and salt to a boil.
- Stir in the potatoes and onions to the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
- Add the sausage, stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Next add the corn and cook for 8 more minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Stir in so it is mixed all the way through. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Drain cooking liquid. Serve directly from the pot into bowls. Alternatively, cover your table in newspaper and dumb the contents of the pot and eat the food directly using your hands.
- Season with more Old Bay if needed.
