Quantities and ingredients for a stovetop shrimp boil for 4?

Unlike crawfish where the rule of thumb is 5 lbs. per person, shrimp are a lot less needed. My general rule of thumb is 1 1/2 lbs. per person if you are planning on boiling potatoes, corn, mushrooms, sausage, etc. with the shrimp.

Everything has to be damn near finished cooking and soaking when you dump the shrimp in the pot since they will only take a few minutes to cook.

ETA: As far as seasoning, that is an individual thing but I like to use the powdered seafood boil like Louisiana Seafood Mix. To that I'll add some cut up onion, garlic, celery, lemons and bay leaves and let that boil for a while to meld the flavors before adding anything else.

Here's a recipe for a stovetop boil in the recipe collection:

Stovetop Boiled Shrimp

"If you plan to boil shrimp in your kitchen, the most important tool is a powerful vent over the stove. No kidding: The spicy boiling water will have you coughing in no time unless you can vent it away.

Here is how I do it at home. I am giving the brand name here because spice mixes vary, particularly when it comes to heat and salt. I use Zatarain's because it is both salty and hot, so I see no reason to add additional salt or cayenne.

I like to use a combination of powered and liquid seasoning as well as a bag of the whole seasoning. (I think I like those bags of whole seasoning because they remind me of my father, who was an expert shrimp boiler.)

I do like my shrimp spicy. If you don't, cut down on the liquid concentrate."

Ingredients
4 quarts water
5 Tbs Zatarain's powdered Complete Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil
2 Tbs Zatarain's Concentrated Shrimp & Crab boil
1 bag of Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil in Bag
2 lemons, quartered
1 medium onion, quartered
1 head garlic, cut in half
4 lbs head-on medium shrimp
8 to 10 new potatoes, if desired
4 1/2 ears of frozen corn on the cob
3 cups ice

Procedure
1. Fill pot with enough water to cover shrimp and vegetables. Add seasoning. If boiling potatoes and corn, add those now, cover and bring to a full, rolling boil. Add shrimp, cover, bring back to a full boil and allow to boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Look for shrimp to rise to the top of the pot. Look for a separation of the shell from the shrimp. As soon as you see that separation, turn heat off.

2. Top with a few cups of ice. Stir. Allow shrimp to soak in seasoned water for 20 to 30 minutes, tasting every 10 minutes or so until just right.

Servings: 2

Source: Times-Picayune

As soon as the shrimp come back to a boil, kill the fire and let sit for a couple minutes. When you see the shell separating from the meat, they’re done. I usually just spread them out on a tray so they can cool down

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Need some help.

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Don't do it in your house unless you want everything to smell it for a week. Besides, cooking it on a stove, you will end up with very hard to peel shrimp. Stoves can't get the heat up fast enough. Don't waste your money.