Who would have thought you could improve upon a good old-fashioned New Orleans shrimp boil? A former Bayona sous chef, Ashley Hykes, showed me it was possible. Serve these shrimp bathing in their colorful marinade in a pretty bowl, along with other appetizers, for a party, or serve them for lunch with deviled eggs, a big green salad, and some bread or croutons for soaking up the pleasingly tart juice perfumed with citrus and vinegar.

Ingredients

Ashley’s Marinade

　　1/2 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar

　　2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 cup olive oil

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　Whisk everything together in a large bowl.

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 large red onion, thinly sliced

　　3 tablespoons capers

　　2 bay leaves, preferably fresh

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Shrimp

　　1 bag crab boil (see page 25), or 4 bay leaves

　　1 tablespoon coriander seeds

　　1 tablespoon mustard seeds

　　1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

　　2 tablespoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt

　　2 pounds medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tails intact

　　Ashley’s Marinade

　　Place a large pot containing about 1 gallon water over high heat. Squeeze the lemon quarters into the water, then drop them in. Add all the spices and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the shrimp and return to the boil. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked (they’ll become opaque and the tails will turn bright pink). Drain the pot well and transfer the still-warm shrimp to the bowl of marinade. Marinate the shrimp for at least 15 minutes or store them, covered, in the refrigerator up to one day before serving.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.