Seafood boils are the block parties of the south! Grab your friends and host a Southern Shrimp Boil, with this easy and flavorful recipe!
As a kid, I envisioned block parties as magical, dreamy events. I guess it comes from my childhood fascination with all things stemming from the 1960’s and 70’s and watching WAY too many movies set in this time period.
In my mind there were kids riding bikes down the street, parents sitting in lawn chairs, tables set up with checkered tablecloths and topped with an assortment of gelatin salads, all while fireworks lit up the night’s sky.
However, that was all movie magic. In real life we NEVER had a block parties. But what we did have were seafood boils! Living in Texas and Louisiana, crawfish boils were as much a part of life as was the rodeo, Mardi Gras and football!
And now that I think about it, these crawfish boils are the southern version of a block party. These boils bring everyone together to bond over a picnic table loaded with food; and yes, occasionally have live music and fireworks too!
As a child, I loved running around with my cousins, my hair in pigtails, dressed in cut off denim shorts and sneakers with no socks; as we laughed and giggled thinking why on Earth would someone eat a crawfish! 😉 Memories I will always and forever cherish.
Today, I still love crawfish boils, for the opportunity to get together with friends and family, to relax and feel the sun kiss our cheeks, hear the sound of zydeco music playing in the background and simply “laissez les bon temps rouler” (let the good times roll)! Yes, I would say that is a block party in the truest form!
However, I know while many people are huge crawfish fans, many are not, myself included (I’d rather not work so hard for such a small bite of food!!). A shrimp or seafood boil is a great alternative to a crawfish boil, since it has similar flavors and all the fun of a traditional crawfish boil.
Summer wouldn’t be complete without a southern style seafood boil, so I decided for Father’s Day I would share this special southern tradition with my in-laws. Since we were expecting a crowd and I was hosting a baby shower that same weekend, I headed to the store to stock up on party supplies like paper goods and food.
While I was at the store, I also grabbed a few boxes of broth, since I ALWAYS use broth for almost everything I cook that requires water (like rice, sauces, etc.) to enhance the flavor of the dishes and would be cooking the shrimp for the shrimp boil in the broth as well.
Because this was a Southern Shrimp Boil, I wanted to make sure and not only highlight some of the best flavors of the south but capture the essence of this southern style block party; complete with a newspaper-covered picnic table and festive music!
In addition to a shrimp boil packed with creole seasonings, andouille sausage and Texas Gulf Coast shrimp; my I served Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad which contained local Texas hill country peaches, home grown blueberries and Texas pecans!
No Texas shindig would be complete without a big bowl of chips and salsa and of course I had to make some pralines and Texas Sheet Cake for dessert!
This special Father’s Day meal might have been a bit unconventional, compared to the crawfish boils that I grew up with, but I think my Grandmother would be proud! 🙂
Southern Shrimp Boil
Seafood boils are the block parties of the south! Grab your friends and host a Southern Shrimp Boil with Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, sweet corn, red potatoes and a ton of spicy southern flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 (32-ounce) boxes Chicken Broth
- 3 tablespoons creole seasoning
- 3 tablespoons seafood seasoning
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1-pound small red potatoes
- 6 ears fresh corn, husks removed and halved
- 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
- 2 pounds large tail on Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
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- For serving:
- Lemon wedges
- Melted butter
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, stir together chicken broth, creole and seafood seasoning, salt, onions and garlic. Bring stock to a boil and add potatoes. Boil for 8-10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add corn and sausage, simmer for 8 minutes. Add shrimp, cook for 1-2 minutes, cover and remove form heat. Let shrimp boil sit for 10 minutes to absorb flavor.
- Drain liquid and spread shrimp boil out on a newspaper-covered table. Serve with lemon wedges, melted butter and hot sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Love crawfish (or shrimp) boils. It’s one of the things I miss living out in California. We used to have them all the time when we lived on the East Coast. #client