Nothing screams summer to me more then a Lobster Boil!  Our kids were all home this Memorial Day weekend so we decided to celebrate summer by pulling out the lobster pot and steaming up some deliciousness.

The beauty of a lobster boil is that everything cooks in one pot, making the set up and clean up very simple.  Very little seasoning is needed because the ingredients create a natural seasoning as they cook together.  We cook everything outside on a portable gas burner, but it can be done just as easily on the stove top.

Start by filling a tall pot with about two cups of dry white wine and enough water to have about 5 inches of liquid in total.  Bring this to a boil and then start adding the ingredients in this order allowing for the specified cooking time between each layer

Small red skinned potatoes – 5 minutes

Whole 1 1/2 lb. Lobsters – 10 minutes

Add together for 5 minutes:
Husked and Halved Corn on the Cob
1 large onion, quartered
1 head peeled garlic
2 lemons, cut into 8 pieces each
1 lb. smoked sausage – I use kielbasa but any kind works
Sprigs of fresh thyme

Clams and Mussels – 5 -10  minutes or until opened (use as many of each as you like)

Peeled Shrimp – 5 minutes

When shellfish has opened and shrimp are opaque your lobster boil is ready to serve.  Simply strain the juice from the bottom of the pot and dump everything onto large platters or a paper lined table.  Crack open some cold beer or pour the wine, sit back and enjoy!

Lobster boils are a great way to feed a crowd in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.  This weekend we kept it to a small group of seven but a few years ago we used the same recipe to feed a group of 20.  Here are some pictures from that night.