My sister in law who is the worlds best cook when it comes to seafood gave this to me. She gave me no real measurements, she is one to "cook by sight" But how I do it is just keep sprinkling till the top of the water is covered! Make sure you use shrimp with the shells on, the spices get all over your hands when you peel the shrimp and adds to the flavor. This is a casual dining recipe It is a very simple recipe that I hope you will enjoy. I use the left over shrimp to make shrimp salad, save 2 tablespoons of the boil liquid to add to the salad!