Depending on how you are serving your shrimp, you can leave the shells on or off. I peel and devein first and keep the shells for the shrimp boil.
Place the shells from the shrimp in a large sauce pan along with 1 Tbsp garlic salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and bay leaf. Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil over med/high heat.
Once water boils, add the peeled and deveined shrimp and simmer until pink, about 2-3 minutes depending on size of the shrimp. Drain and transfer cooked shrimp to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and let cool.
