Indoor Shrimp Boil With Oranges and Artichokes
This seafood boil is an homage to the crawfish boils of Louisiana, with a Sicilian twist courtesy of the addition of oranges and artichokes steeped in the broth. You can use this same method with crabs, lobsters or, as I do here, shrimp tails. The spices used to flavor the broth are meant to mimic those in the Zatarain’s brand Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil mix — if you can find that in your grocery store, use it instead. Serve the boil in a giant heatproof platter with lots of napkins and no silverware to encourage your guests to eat with their fingers. Take bites of the potatoes and sausages as you eat everything else to give your mouth a break from all the spice. This dish is meant to be pretty spicy, but if you want to keep it mild, simply omit the cayenne in the finishing seasoning.
Heat the oven to its lowest, or “warm,” setting. To make the spiced broth, combine the kosher salt, chile flakes, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, dried dill and allspice in the largest pot you own. Crush the bay leaves in your hand until they’re as fine as possible, then add to the other spices. Pour in 4 quarts water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the potatoes to the water and cook, covered, until the tip of a paring knife easily slides in and out of the largest potatoes, 25 to 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, lift the potatoes from the water and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven to keep warm.
While the potatoes cook, make the finishing seasoning: In a small bowl, combine the seasoned salt, cayenne, paprika, sugar and lemon zest. Rub everything together with your fingers, then set aside to dry until ready to use.
Cut the oranges in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise in half again to give 8 wedges; set 2 of the wedges aside. Squeeze the 6 orange wedges over the cooking liquid so their juice mixes with the seasoned water, then drop the spent peels in the water too. Add the artichokes and another 1 quart water to the broth, return to a boil and cook, covered, until the tip of a paring knife easily slides in and out of the base of the artichokes, about 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the artichokes from the pot to the baking sheet with the potatoes and keep warm.
Add the corn and kielbasa to the broth and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the corn and kielbasa from the pot to the baking sheet with the potatoes and artichokes.
If the cooking liquid level has gone down too much to cover the shrimp, add the remaining 1 quart water to the pot and return to a boil. Add the shrimp to the broth, stir to ensure they are evenly dispersed in the broth, then turn the heat off and let the shrimp sit in the broth until cooked through, about 20 minutes. While you wait, transfer the potatoes, artichokes, sausage and corn to a large serving platter.
Return the broth to a simmer to ensure the shrimp are hot, then use a slotted spoon or tongs to lift the shrimp from the broth and scatter them evenly over the potatoes, artichokes, corn and sausage. Using a ladle, spoon some of the hot broth over everything on the platter to help remoisten all the ingredients.
Cut the 2 reserved orange wedges in half to make 4 small wedges, then add them to the platter. Sprinkle the finishing seasoning over everything and serve while piping hot. Use your fingers to eat the shrimp, sausage, artichokes and corn, reaching for the potatoes to take bites out of as you eat to help quell the spiciness of the rest of the dish. Serve with lots of wet paper towels as napkins.
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