Low Country Boil

Ingredients

• 16 cups water
• 3 pounds baby potatoes (red skin is traditional)
• 1 large onion (peeled and cut into wedges)
• 6-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning (or your favorite Cajun seasoning)
• 2 pounds kielbasa sausage (cut into 1-2 inch segments)
• 12 ounce lager beer (optional!)
• 6 corn cobs (halved)
• 2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp (peeled)
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• Optional garnishes: crusty bread (clarified butter, cocktail sauce , lemons, hot sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Set a large 12-quart pot over medium-high heat. (If you don't have a pot this size, set two 6 to 8-quart pots over medium-high heat, then add half the ingredients to each pot.)

2. 2

   Pour the water into the pot. Add the onion wedges and garlic cloves. If the potatoes are the size of the shrimp or smaller, place them in the pot whole. If they're larger than the shrimp, cut them in half before adding to the pot.

3. 3

   Next add the Old Bay seasoning, kielbasa sausage links, and beer.

4. 4

   Bring to a boil. Once boiling, allow the mixture to cook for 10-12 minutes.

5. 5

   Check a potato by inserting a fork in the center. If it's almost fork-tender, it's time to add the corn. Gently lower the corn cob halves into the liquid. Stir and continue to boil another 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Finally add the shrimp. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

7. 7

   When ready to serve, carefully pour the entire contents of the pot into a large colander to drain off the liquid. Then dump the colander out onto a paper lined table Alternately, you can use a large sieve or skimmer to remove all of the contents of the pot from the cooking liquid and place on the table.

8. 8

   Serve as-is, or garnish with extra Old Bay, lemon wedges, crusty bread, clarified butter, hot sauce, and/or cocktail sauce.