Low Country Boil
The Low Country Boil is a food tradition started in the southeastern United States that brings groups of people together for a good time, much like a New England clambake. Brimming with seafood and sausage, this dish celebrates the food you might find in the flat coastal region that runs from southern North Carolina to the southern border of Georgia, with a toehold in the corner of Florida. You might hear it called a Frogmore stew, a Beaufort Boil, or even a Tidewater Boil, depending on where in the US you are.
Make this in the biggest pot you have. Cook ingredients in order from what needs to cook the longest to what needs to cook for the least amount of time so you can serve them all at once. When it's ready, cover a table with butcher paper, drain the pot, and pour the food right out onto the table. Pair this with a basket full of bread, a side of butter, and plenty of napkins to keep it traditional. Bowls of cocktail sauce are good to scatter around the table, or put out some Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Sauce for friends looking for a spicier dip. Some people like vinegar for their seafood as well. Our taste testers enjoyed the deep flavors of this meal, and also the comradery of hanging out around the table which had been topped with freshly cooked seafood and vegetables.
- 3 pounds new potatoes
- 2 vidalia onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 gallon water
- 2 Tablespoons bottled hot sauce
- 24 ounces beer
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 lemons, quartered
- ¾ cup Gulf Coast Bay Seasoning
- 6 ears of sweet corn, peeled and cleaned and cut into thirds
- 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- 2 pounds medium to large shrimp, with shells on
- 2 pounds blue crab and/or crawfish
- Place the potatoes, onions, water, hot sauce, beer, vinegar, lemons, and Gulf Coast Bay Seasoning in the cooker. Light burner and bring to a full boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Add corn and sausage and boil for 15 minutes.
- Add shrimp and Crabs/Crawfish and boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain and serve with cocktail sauce, more lemons, hot sauce, and crackers.
