Shrimp | Alabayou

As someone who grew up on a shrimp dock in Bayou La Batre, Al I often get asked, "How do you boil shrimp in the shell?" Well, it's easy! One of the greatest traditions here on the Gulf Coast is boiling shrimp in the shell and hosting a shrimp boil. I will discuss in the article just how to boil shrimp in the shell and give you the secret to making them peel easy. When Boiling a shrimp in the shell you will need to bring a pot of unseasoned and unsalted water to a rolling boil. Drop the shrimp in the water and bring the water back to a rolling boil and boil the shrimp for 1-2 minutes. Once the time is up, cut off the burner and add the appropriate amount of salt and seasoning to the shrimp and let that soak in for 5 minutes, and they're ready to serve. If you need more detailed instructions, keep reading I will go over all the steps necessary to boil shrimp in the shell. Soon you’ll be hosting your own shrimp boil impressing your friends and family with delicious shrimp! Items needed to Boil Shrimp in the Shell Domestic Shrimp in the shell (head-on or headless) A pot big enough to hold the shrimp and water Seafood boil (8 oz of seafood boil to 5 pounds of shrimp) Salt (half of a 4 oz container to 5 pounds) Metal mesh skimmer or large spoon big enough to stir the pot This guide is going over the basics on how to boil shrimp in the shell. If you're looking for a guide on everything that goes into boiling shrimp and hosting a shrimp boil check out our complete guide here. Steps to Boiling Shrimp in the Shell Step 1 Take a pot and fill it with 2/3 water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Drop the shrimp in the water and bring the water back to a rolling boil. Time the shrimp for 1-2 min once the water is boiling. You can tell when the shrimp are almost done boiling when you see a heavy pink foam forming on top of the water. Step 2 Once the shrimp are done boiling cut off the heat. Then add your seasoning. I use 8 oz of seafood boil to 5 pounds of shrimp and 4-6 oz of salt. Many seasoning will have the recommend amount of seasoning for each pound of shrimp. *Pro Tip- Make sure to boil the shrimp in unseasoned and unsalted water. Only add the seasoning and salt once they are done boiling this will make the shrimp peel easy. Step 3 Let the shrimp soak for 5 min. stirring occasionally. Once the 5 min soak is up taste a shrimp if it seasoned to your liking they are ready to serve. If they need more spice or salt add just a little more seafood boil for spice or salt if they need more salt. Let them soak for an additional 2-3 min and repeat the process 'till seasoned to your liking. You do not want to leave the shrimp soaking longer than necessary as these can result in too spicy or salty boiled shrimp. *Pro Tip-If you want spicier shrimp add Cayenne pepper powder during the soak time. I recommend 1/2 table spoon per 5 pounds of shrimp. Jacob James Boiling Shrimp for an Alabama Football Tailgate Serving Boiled shrimp Whether served as a stand alone meal or just an appetizer these boiled shrimp are sure to please. You will want to have some cocktail and melted butter when serving the shrimp. These shrimp are great served hot right of the boiler or chilled over night served over a tray of ice. On the Gulf Coast many people boil corn, sausage, and new potatoes to go along with the boiled shrimp. Check out my complete guide on how to do a shrimp boil. *Fun Fact: They call them "new potatoes" because they are the earliest to crop in June and July, being "new" for the season. How many pounds of shrimp per person? I recommend two to three pounds of shrimp per person when trying to figure out how many pounds you will need for a boil. This sounds like a lot but the shrimp loses weight from being boiled and the head is ⅓ of the weight of the shrimp and the shell is another ⅓. What size shrimp to boil? I recommend boiling medium size shrimp that are head-on and shell on. A medium size shrimp count will be 26-30, 31-35, or 36-40 (The number represents how many shrimp are in a pound). With my method of boiling shrimp in the shell you can boil much smaller shrimp with confidence they will be easy to peel. Many people will only boil large shrimp because they can't get their boiled shrimp to peel easily. If you follow the above method you can boil as small as 70-80 count shrimp and have them peel easy. What kind of shrimp to boil? The only option for boiling shrimp is domestic wild caught shrimp from the United States. The United States offers a variety of shrimp. Check out my article on the 10 best tasting shrimp caught in the U.S. Domestic Fresh or Frozen shrimp in the shells will work with my boiling method. I prefer to boil fresh shrimp but frozen is a great option if you aren't near a coast. If frozen, it is best to deforest the shrimp before boiling. Most frozen shrimp sold in grocery stores are IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) and will thaw out in minutes if placed in cool water. My favorite shrimp to boil are 36/40 brown shrimp caught in the bays of the gulf coast. Really any shrimp work well with this method. I've boiled brown, pink, white and royal red shrimp using this method and they have all turned out great. Try out boiling different kinds of domestic shrimp to find out your favorite as each offer a unique taste and texture that you are sure to love. Conclusion Now that you know how to boil shrimp in the shell you can start boiling them up with friends and family. Make sure to only us domestic wild caught shrimp from the U.S. Check out our Awesome shrimp hats and show your support for the local fishing community. If you would like more information on boiling shrimp and any other type seafood please feel free to give me a call 251-508-7234.