Monday, August 17, 2009

Old Bay!

Today's post is a BIG, delicious Thank You shout-out to The Food Addicts! Last month they hosted a fun, summery give-away, courtesy of Old Bay ... and I was lucky enough to win. Hooray! The gift pack included: Old Bay Seasoning, a Seafood Steamer Bag, an Old Bay Beach Towel, key chain bottle opener, a handy Old Bay Beach Bag, some great recipes and a fun Old Bay temporary tattoo! Honestly, it was like receiving a box of summer in the mail. You can see a picture of my winnings here ... and above, you can see what I did with it on Friday night.

While Old Bay may be more closely associated with crab, it puts me in mind of shrimp. Accordingly, we made a version of the classic shrimp boil; so festive and perfect for a steamy summer evening! This recipe is adapted from the one included on the back of the Old Bay Seasoning tin.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil:
  • 1/4 cup of Champagne vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 of a large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
  • 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 pound of large shrimp, heads removed, shells on
Combine the vinegars, water, Old Bay, onion and garlic in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and allow the shrimp to steam for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked throughout. Remove shrimp, drain, and place into a covered dish to serve.

As written this recipe will serve 2 as a main course. I like to serve the shrimp with a splash of lemon, some spicy cocktail sauce and a bit of Sriracha sauce for kick. The shrimp were tender, beautifully seasoned, and thoroughly delicious! Best of all, this is a nearly no-cook meal. Slice a few onions, smash a little garlic and dinner will be on the table in under ten minutes - not to mention, its fun!

I took advantage of the "easy peel" shrimp offered at Fairway. They've still got their shells, but have been de-veined; and, once boiled, the shells will come away like magic. Make sure to have plenty of napkins at the ready ... this is a hands-on meal.

To round out the meal, I made some whole wheat garlic bread and a giant salad. Word to the wise: garlic bread photographs better than shrimp ... at least in my kitchen. What can I say? We were hungry and needed to get 'em while they were hot. Sorry! Don't judge a shrimp by its picture ... I can assure you they were as beautiful as they were scrumptious.

Thanks, again, Food Addicts! You haven't seen the last of the Old Bay here on Beach Eats ... there's more to come, indeed!

So, what's your favorite way to use Old Bay? Hungry Diva wants to know!

10 comments:

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Now that looks like my kind of meal!

Lele said...

That looks so gorgeously messy! I love eating with my hands, especially in the summer!

The Duo Dishes said...

Mmm mmm mmm! Just use the bread to scoop up the shrimp!

Unknown said...

mmmm.... garlic bread.... :)... drool!

Anonymous said...

My niece was an intern at Old Bay about 5 years ago and she brought us some of their products as a hostess gift when she came to visit. They were yummy so I'm sure your feast was fab, too.

Thanks for sharing your winnings with us here in cyberspace.

Anonymous said...

Delicious shrimp! Perfect with the yummy garlic bread!

pixelgal said...

Shrimp and bread both look delicious. I use Old Bay in soups and seafood mostly but sometimes just sprinkle it on other stuff as well. I'll be sure to try this one. Thanks, kiddo!

Christo Gonzales said...

lucky you - congrats on winning. I use old bay a lot - it all looks so good!

aoife mc said...

Oooh how yum! Congrats on winning the lot, looks like it will all come in very useful indeed.

Krissy @ The Food Addicts said...

Wow - look at that! I'm so happy you love the Old Bay package, and that's awesome that you've already put it to good use. We'll be having another giveaway on our blog very soon, so stay tuned!!!