Low Country Boil

About This Recipe

Low country boil, also called Frogmore stew, is the coastal Carolina and Georgia answer to the Louisiana crawfish boil: shrimp, smoked sausage, sweet corn, and red potatoes simmered together in one heavily seasoned pot. There is no actual stew here; the seasoned cooking liquid does its work and is then drained away, leaving the food to be dumped onto newspaper-covered tables for a hands-on feast. The trick is staggering the ingredients so the potatoes are creamy, the corn is crisp-sweet, and the shrimp are just barely cooked. Old Bay or a Carolina-style crab boil seasoning ties everything together with celery salt, paprika, and pepper.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 lbslarge shell-on shrimp (16–20 count)
• 1 lbsmoked kielbasa or andouille sausage(cut into 2-inch chunks)
• 4 earsfresh corn(cut into thirds)
• 1.5 lbssmall red potatoes(halved)
• 4 tbspOld Bay seasoning(plus more for finishing)
• 2 wholelemons(halved)
• 1 largeyellow onion(quartered)
• 4 clovesgarlic(smashed)
• 2 tbspkosher salt
• 4 tbspunsalted butter(melted, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare

   Halve red potatoes, cut corn cobs into thirds, slice smoked sausage into 2-inch chunks, and leave shrimp shell-on for flavor. Fill a large stockpot two-thirds with water and add seasoning, halved lemons, and a quartered onion.

   Shell-on shrimp protect the meat from the salty boil and add flavor; guests peel at the table.

2. 2

   Cook

   Bring the pot to a rolling boil, add potatoes, and cook 10 to 12 minutes until a knife slides in with slight resistance. Add sausage and corn and boil 5 minutes more so the corn stays snappy.

3. 3

   Combine

   Drop in the shrimp, stir once, and cook just 2 to 3 minutes until they curl loosely and turn opaque pink. Immediately drain everything in a large colander so nothing keeps cooking in the hot liquid.

   Shrimp overcook in seconds; pull them when they form a loose C shape, because a tight O means they are already rubbery.

4. 4

   Serve

   Dump the boil onto a newspaper-lined table or large platter and dust generously with extra seasoning. Serve hot with melted butter, cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, and plenty of napkins.

Variations

• •

  Add blue crab clusters or snow crab legs with the corn for a seafood-heavy spread.

• •

  Crawfish-style Cajun version: swap Old Bay for Louisiana crab boil and add extra cayenne.

• •

  Oven sheet-pan version: roast the same ingredients tossed in butter and seasoning at 400°F for 25 minutes.

• •

  Vegetable-forward boil: add quartered artichokes and whole garlic heads with the potatoes.

Storage

Refrigerate peeled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat gently in a skillet with butter. Leftover shrimp and sausage also make an excellent next-day rice bowl or omelet filling.

Frequently Asked Questions