This recipe comes from Lee "Natty" Trebotich, our camp cook from past on-location photo shoots. Natty made sure our first time camping in North Carolina was a memorable one, serving up this boil on our second day of car camping. For outings with larger groups, you can't beat the impressive unveiling moment that comes with pouring out the colorful shrimp and vegetables.

It's also a surprisingly simple dish: Once the ingredients are assembled, the only work to be done is some hands-off boiling. Serve on your campsite's picnic table and let everyone dig in!

 

Once finished, the boil can be poured into a wide serving dish or directly onto a covered table.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water
• 3 tablespoons of your favorite Creole Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• Favorite hot sauce (Natty likes “Louisiana”)
• 1 medium yellow onion sliced
• 1 large lemon, cut into halves 
• 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1 lb baby red potatoes 
• 2 heads of garlic (whole cloves peeled)
• 8 ounces of mushrooms (leave whole)
• 1–1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined (shell on)
• 4–6 ears sweet corn, cut into halves

 

Directions:

1. In an extra-large stockpot (10+ quarts) bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. 
2. Season the boiling water with Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, and a few dashes of hot sauce.
3. Add the onion, garlic cloves, and lemon halves to the pot. Stir, and let the mixture boil for 15 minutes.
4. Add the andouille, corn, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 15-20 minutes
5. Add the shrimp and boil for an additional 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overboil the shrimp!
6. Strain the boil and dump onto a wide, covered surface area for everyone to enjoy. (A fold-up table can be worth bringing, or at least a plastic tablecloth for your campsite's picnic table.)

Serves 6-8 people

 

Lee & Megan Trebotich

 

About the Chef

Lee "Natty" Trebotich is the Head Chef and CEO of Food for Adventures, a company that offers outdoors food services including Private Adventure Chef, Expedition Cooking, and Outdoor Educational Programs. With a background in biology and years of experience as an outdoor educator and paid athlete, Natty's expertise is complemented by his wife, Megan's, skills as a registered dietician.