Royal Reds Recipe

Prepare shrimp

Rinse the XL shrimp under cold water, pat dry with paper towels. If not already, peel and devein leaving tails on. Toss shrimp with 2 tbs Old Bay and 1 tsp kosher salt and set aside refrigerated until ready to cook.

Vegetables & sausage

Wash red potatoes and halve any larger ones so pieces are roughly uniform (~1–1.5 inches). Cut corn into thirds. Slice smoked sausage into 1-inch pieces. Quarter the onion. Chop parsley and set aside. Cut lemons into wedges; reserve halved lemons for the broth.

Select a pot large enough to hold all ingredients with a couple inches headspace (at least 8–10 quart). Add 3 liters water, 4 cups chicken broth and 1 cup white wine (if using). Bring to a gentle boil over high heat.

Add aromatics: squeeze the juice from the two halved lemons into the pot, then toss the squeezed lemon halves in as well. Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tbs whole black peppercorns, 6 smashed garlic cloves, 3 tbs seafood/Cajun boil seasoning, and 2 tbs Old Bay. Stir to dissolve and return to a rolling boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and add 6 tbs unsalted butter to melt into the broth for added richness.

Add the halved/small red potatoes to the simmering broth first. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until a fork easily pierces the potatoes but they are not falling apart.

Add the corn pieces and quartered onion to the pot and simmer together with the potatoes for 6–8 minutes more.

Stir in the smoked sausage pieces and simmer for another 4–5 minutes to heat through and allow flavor exchange. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with up to 1 tsp more kosher salt or extra boil seasoning if needed.

Increase the heat so the broth returns to a gentle boil. Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer, pushing them gently into the liquid. Shrimp cook very quickly: boil for exactly 2–3 minutes for XL shrimp until they turn opaque and curl into a loose 'C' shape. Do not overcook.

Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, remove shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausage, and onion from the pot and transfer to a large serving bowl or onto a lined baking sheet for presentation. Reserve a little of the broth to ladle if desired.

Arrange the contents on a platter or on butcher paper for a classic presentation. Drizzle the 6 tbs melted butter over the seafood and vegetables, sprinkle chopped parsley and the optional extra Old Bay/cayenne evenly over the top to taste.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and extra melted butter on the side for dipping. Provide crab crackers or picks if needed for shells. Enjoy hot.