Contributed by:
Michael W. Davis
(Davisstories.com)
Romantic suspense & mystery
Story behind the recipe – In the south when it’s hot, we’d often cook outside. Far back as I recall my favorite summer food was a southern boil. Whether its variety of flavors, its simplicity, or the fact it meant company was coming; I loved that meal. So much so, in the novel BLIND CONSENT, which is a reflection of my life in the impoverished south as a kid, I recovered the emotions of family gatherings enjoying this meal. Oh, the Aunt May in the story, she was real and made this morsel better than all the rest. Or maybe it’s because she and I would spend hours on the pier trapping crawfish for the pot. Lord could that woman spin a wondrous yarn. Loved listening to all her old stories of life when she was my age. I now do the same with my little Granddaughter. What a grand circle.
What you’ll need – This meal is so easy and straight forward. You need a pot that holds 3-5 gallons of liquid (depending on the number served). The preparation below is for six. We use crawfish when available but unpeeled full headed shrimp will do in a pinch (g).
- Two lbs of kielbasa (or smoked sausage) and six ears fresh corn.
- Fifteen medium red potatoes and two lbs shrimp/crawfish.
- Spices include: 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, and 1 can regular beer.
Steps to the process
- Cut meat into four inch pieces, cut corn ears in half, clean potatoes (but leave peels on).
- Put potatoes and sausage in pot. Fill with water till just covers ingredients.
- Add beer and spices then bring to boil and cook 20 minutes at medium heat.
- Add corn, cook 7 more minutes. Add shrimp/crawfish, cook three more minutes and check color.
- If red/pink they’re ready, if not, add a minute or two but don’t overcook once they turn color.
- Carefully drain contents of pot. Cover a picnic table with brown paper and pour onto paper.
Comments - If you can’t stand informal, put contents on large platter. Otherwise go country; no utensils, no plates, just arms, hands and elbows digging in around the table having a ball. Oh yeah. Probably a good idea to put a couple rolls of paper towels on the table. Amazing how friendly and informal people become eating with bare hands, fingers dripping with juicy flavor.
Blurb from BLIND CONSENT - Tanglewood Falls offers breath-taking views, yet the serendipity is misleading. The impoverished people and their forgotten community have been unwittingly exploited. Their act of trust and blind consent altered their existence and the secret’s remained buried, until Ryan returns to explore his heritage. For twenty years, he’s been haunted by confusing images, recurring dreams rooted in his past. He’s driven to understand their meaning, to obtain answers to his lost memories. Ryan’s search for truth collides with the folklore of the simple people and the belief that their beautiful Annie is blessed. Together, they unravel the mystery, but at a price. They become targets of those responsible for what happened to the town. As the truth is exposed, Ryan grapples with his own reality; that his past, his nightmares, and Annie’s secret, everything is entangled in the desperate act of one lonely man. (Winner of Rose Award for best suspense, Love, Romance & More)