0.3 cup crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
3 ears corn sweet halved
1 head garlic halved
2 pounds shrimp with heads and tails
8 servings kosher salt
2 lemons plus more for serving halved
12 littleneck clams scrubbed ( 1 pound 4 ounces)
1 pound new potatoes red medium to large cut in 1/2
1 medium onion quartered
2 teaspoons salt
2 serrano chiles split
3 pieces sausage smoked such as andouille or kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces ( 1 pound 5 ounces)
0.5 bunch thyme leaves
8 servings water
Equipment
pot
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Fill a huge stockpot, preferably fitted with a basket insert, with about 4 quarts of water. Keep in mind that when you add the solid ingredients the water level will rise, so don't fill the pot up more than halfway. Squeeze the lemons into the water, tossing in the halves too.
Add the bay leaves, salt, seasoning, thyme, onions, chiles and garlic; bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You want a very aromatic broth with plenty of salt and spices. Taste it; don't be afraid to make it strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the potatoes and other ingredients. Adjust seasoning with salt.
Add the potatoes to the pot to give them a head start; simmer for 20 minutes. Now add the corn and sausage; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid.
Add the clams and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until they open. Then toss in the shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp steep in the flavor for 15 minutes.
Drain and spread the shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table.
Serve with lemons and plenty of napkins. Reserve the broth to make Shrimp Cocktail Shots.
