Boiled Fresh Shrimp from Galveston, Texas

I know many of you are focusing on food and preparations for Thanksgiving.  I am also gathering my recipes and preparing my shopping list but I wanted to do a follow up to my previous post on the crab and fresh shrimp I bought last weekend from our purveyor from Galveston, Texas. I've shared this recipe before but it's so good it deserves a repeat!

In addition to feasting on crab cakes, we also enjoyed a meal of freshly boiled shrimp. This is my favorite way to prepare these beautiful, never frozen, shrimp when they arrive here in the Midwest. Sadly, they won't be back until next spring.

To serve, I usually just buy my favorite bottled cocktail or chili sauce and add an extra teaspoon or so of prepared horseradish and a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Perfect Boiled Shrimp

Recipe adapted from Emeril's.com
Printable Recipe

1 large lemon, halved
4 quarts water
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 pounds jumbo shrimp in the shell (16-20 count)

Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a large pot and add the halves to the pot. Add the water, bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and Old Bay Seasoning. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Add the shrimp. Return to a boil and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover, and let stand for 4. Scoop shrimp out place in a an ice bath to stop the cooking for 1 minute. Remove and serve with your favorite cocktail sauce, some sliced lemons and plenty of napkins!

Yield: 4 servings