Potatoes get traded for sweet and peppery turnips in this flavor-rich boil. The strong notes of ginger, garlic, and butter are complemented with a squeeze of lime and sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Boil
Yields: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 gallons water
- 2 (3-ounce) pouches crawfish, shrimp, and crab boil in bag*
- ¾ cup plus 2¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fish sauce, divided
- 2 heads garlic, halved horizontally
- 2 limes, halved
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, halved and smashed
- 1 pound large turnips, trimmed and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
- ¾ pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 4 pounds unpeeled large head-on fresh shrimp
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh baby portobello mushrooms
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup chopped garlic
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
- Lime wedges, to serve
- Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, bring 2 gallons water, seafood boil pouches, ¾ cup salt, ½ cup fish sauce, garlic heads, lime halves, and smashed ginger to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; add turnips and carrots. Simmer until tender, 14 to 18 minutes; remove from heat. Add shrimp and mushrooms; cover and let stand until shrimp are pink and firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a spider strainer, transfer shrimp, mushrooms, carrots, and turnips to a very large bowl.
- In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chopped garlic, green onion, and chopped ginger; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, cilantro, red pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and remaining 2¾ teaspoons salt. Add shrimp mixture to butter mixture, stirring until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately with lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Notes
*We used Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab Boil in Bag