Purchase wild, USA, raw shrimp. We love the easy peel variety, or the peeled and deveined. If your shrimp is not deveined, use a sharp paring knife to cut down the backside while running under cold water. Use the knife to scrape out any stubborn vein.
Keep the shrimp on ice or in the refrigerator, but ensure it is completely thawed.
Shopping List
- 2 Lemons, halved and squeezed
- 3 Bay leaves
- 1 Onion, quartered
- 2 T Kosher salt
- 2 T Old Bay or Seafood Seasoning
- 1 t. whole peppercorns
Cooking Instructions
Assemble a Court Bouillon for the shrimp. That’s French for good tasting boiling water. In a 6 quart pot, fill ¾ with water, and add any or all of the following: 2 lemons, halved and squeezed, 3 bay leaves, an onion, quartered, 2 T Kosher Salt, 2T Old Bay or Seafood Seasoning, 1 t. whole peppercorns. Bring it to a boil, then turn it off and let it sit, if you have time.
Put a colander in your sink or find a handled strainer to drain the shrimp. Set a bowl larger than your colander or strainer of ice water next to the sink. Return the Court Bouillon to a rolling boil. Carefully dump in the shrimp, all at once. Replace the lid. Set the timer for 2 min (for 24-30 size shrimp), when it goes off immediately remove the shrimp (using a handled strainer helps) or dump into the colander. As soon as the shrimp are no longer transparent they are done. Sink the strainer or colander into the larger bowl of ice water for easy retrieval or dump them right in. Add more ice if it all melts.
If you didn’t buy cocktail sauce, mix ketchup with enough horseradish to your liking. A splash of Worcestershire or lemon doesn’t hurt.
Ingredients
Directions
Assemble a Court Bouillon for the shrimp. That’s French for good tasting boiling water. In a 6 quart pot, fill ¾ with water, and add any or all of the following: 2 lemons, halved and squeezed, 3 bay leaves, an onion, quartered, 2 T Kosher Salt, 2T Old Bay or Seafood Seasoning, 1 t. whole peppercorns. Bring it to a boil, then turn it off and let it sit, if you have time.
Put a colander in your sink or find a handled strainer to drain the shrimp. Set a bowl larger than your colander or strainer of ice water next to the sink. Return the Court Bouillon to a rolling boil. Carefully dump in the shrimp, all at once. Replace the lid. Set the timer for 2 min (for 24-30 size shrimp), when it goes off immediately remove the shrimp (using a handled strainer helps) or dump into the colander. As soon as the shrimp are no longer transparent they are done. Sink the strainer or colander into the larger bowl of ice water for easy retrieval or dump them right in. Add more ice if it all melts.
If you didn’t buy cocktail sauce, mix ketchup with enough horseradish to your liking. A splash of Worcestershire or lemon doesn’t hurt.