Spicy Shrimp Boil With Lemon Butter

By Melissa Clark

Spicy Shrimp Boil With Lemon Butter
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(93)
Comments
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In this very spicy, very messy shrimp feast, diners peel their own shrimp, then dunk them in hot sauce-spiked shrimp broth, a bowl of melted lemon butter or both. Many shrimp boils call for adding corn, sausage and potatoes to the pot. This one focuses solely on the shrimp, though feel free to add the other ingredients if you’d like to bulk it up. Crusty bread for serving is a must, both to sop with the last bits of broth and butter, and as a palate-soother, for when the building heat of the cayenne and hot sauce starts to burn.

Featured in: What Are We Supposed to Think About Shrimp?

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1large onion, halved
  • 1head garlic, sliced in half crosswise to expose the cloves
  • ¼cup Old Bay seasoning
  • 1tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
  • ½teaspoon cayenne
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick)
  • 1lemon, halved
  • 1tablespoon minced shallot (optional)
  • 1tablespoon Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, plus more as needed
  • 2pounds large shell-on shrimp
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

296 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 527 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 6 cups water with the onion, garlic, Old Bay, peppercorns, salt and cayenne to a boil in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile in a small pot, melt the butter. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the pot. Stir in shallot, if using, and season butter to taste with hot sauce and salt. Set aside for serving.

  3. Step 3

    Squeeze juice from the other half the lemon into the large pot, then toss in squeezed lemon half. Stir in 1 tablespoon hot sauce and shrimp. Bring just to a simmer (not a boil), then lower the heat so the mixture continues to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through.

  4. Step 4

    Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to a large serving bowl or platter. Taste shrimp broth and add more salt and hot sauce if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Strain shrimp broth into serving bowls. Divide melted butter into small bowls, one per guest.

  6. Step 6

    To serve, give each guest a bowl of spicy shrimp broth and a small bowl filled with seasoned butter for dipping. Guests should peel shrimp and dunk in broth, butter or both. Serve with bread on the side and plenty of napkins, and a bowl for the shrimp shells.

Ratings

4 out of 5
93 user ratings
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Comments

Syd

You could, but leaving the shells on deepens the flavor. When I want a less messy dish for guests, I peel the shrimp, put the shells in a cheesecloth bundle tied to keep shells in, and add to the sauce/broth base. It is almost as good as leaving the shells on the shrimp. For this recipe I would add the cheesecloth sack in step 1, then continue as described.

Ferguson

I got the Key West Pinks, in shell, previously frozen at Whole Foods (thank you for the suggestion Joe) and made the recipe just as instructed. We loved it. The broth gave the shrimp a fabulous flavor without being overwhelming. The broth was too strong to drink straight out of the bowl but I tried because it was so yummy. We dipped bread in it and next time I might save it for cooking rice or something else the next day.

B. Miller

It is best to leave the shells on for a peel-as-you-eat experience. The shells impart an extra level of flavor to the shrimp that is lost if the shrimp are pre-peeled. An alternative approach might be to peel the shrimp and boil down a stock made with the shells and aromatics and then poach the shrimp quickly in the stock. But you'll miss the fun and camaraderie of peeling, dunking and eating.

Harmony

I loved this recipe! I added a tablespoon of reduced sodium Better Than Bullion to a half recipe, 2 tsp paprika and a touch of ginger to the stock. I used raw shrimp with only the tails on (I’m clearly not a purist). Dipping into butter would be too rich so I used the standard tomato based cocktail sauce with lots of horseradish added. Not bad for a Tuesday night! I plan to use the leftover broth to make a seafood stew.

Linda

Great recipe! Tasty and fast. Used on Alaska fresh caught spot shrimp and was delicious. Skipped butter altogether which my waistline doesn’t need and did not miss it at all. Just dipped shrimp in filtered broth -heaven! Highly recommend for time crunch recipe.

Joy D

I combined this with Samin's boil recipe; I added potatoes, corn, mushrooms, celery and sausage. The flavor of the broth was very yummy! I am using the broth to keep making rice and noodles.

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