Our low country boil recipe is a one-pot, easy-going, all-you-can-eat, roll-up-your-sleeves, mouth-watering summer meal for a crowd. Invite some good friends, slap down newspaper on an outdoor table, fill with the cooked low country boil and have a great time!
There are many versions of low country boil recipes. Ours is very traditional with domestic plump shrimp, smoked sausage, potatoes, sweet corn and a whole lotta seasoning.
How To Cook Our Low Country Boil Recipe
One of the beauties of low country boil is that much of the preparation is left to the diner. It’s peel-and-eat shrimp, meaning that as the chef you don’t need to peel and devein the shrimp for everyone. A HUGE timesaver.
You only need to shuck the corn and break in half. Slice the sausage, quarter the onion, cut the potatoes in half or quarters depending on their size and toss in the boiling seasoned water. You will cook them in sequence as the recipe states because some ingredients take longer to cook than others.
It’s ideal to cook the low country boil outside but there’s no reason it can’t be made on the stove in a large pot.
How much of each ingredient per diner for low country boil? About half a pound of shrimp, a quarter pound of sausage, a few potatoes, and a half ear or two of corn per person.
The most temperamental ingredient is the shrimp. Be sure to not overcook it or the shrimp will become rubbery. It only takes a few minutes until they turn pink.
Outdoor Setup For Low Country Boil
We use our turkey fryer for all kinds of meals, rarely for a fried turkey. The huge metal pot, strainer or steam basket, pot stand and propane is a perfect setup for the low country meal as well as fried chicken, cooking lobster, shrimp boil, crab feasts, boiling or steaming corn on the cobb.
Really any food that needs to be boiled, steamed or fried, especially if cooking for a crowd or party.
The turkey fryer keeps the heat and odor out of the house as well as the mess.
Shrimp Boil Seasoning
Use your favorite shrimp boil seasoning, Old Bay and Zatarain’s are favorites.
My husband’s family is from Maryland so Old Bay Seasoning is non-negotiable. It gives a nice hit of spice without being overwhelming.
If you want a stronger, spicier version then use Zatarain’s shrimp boil packets. They are packaged in mesh bags that you just drop in the liquid.
Don’t be shy with the seasoning or you will have a bland meal.
With that being said, you may have party guests that don’t favor a low country boil seasoning. Sometimes I’ll make some shrimp, corn and potatoes first and cover with foil for those diners.
I add some salt and pepper when the corn and potatoes come out and provide melted butter to add more taste to the non-seasoned meal.
Then pour in the spice and finish cooking the shrimp boil.
How To Serve Our Low Country Shrimp Boil Recipe
Newspaper is your dishware for low country boil, indoor or outdoor. I love serving it outside if possible. The newspaper adds a certain festiveness to the meal, just like a crab feast.
I’ll write another post on crab feasts in Maryland. That was another family summer tradition up until a few years ago.
You literally line the table with a couple layers of newspaper to soak up the juices. Drain and then dump the low country boil ingredients straight onto the newspaper. You’ll need forks for the potatoes and sausage. Or heck, let them eat with their hands. It’s that kind of meal.
If you don’t like the newspaper idea then use large baking trays, platters or bowls. They are good vessels and still keep the meal casual. Add some serving utensils and let your guests serve themselves.
And for those that want a more upscale look like that at a nicer restaurant, then using small metal trays or fun dishes are good bets.
What To Serve As A Side Dish With Our Low Country Boil Recipe
You really don’t need to add a side dish as the corn and potatoes are already in the boil. This is truly a one pot meal.
Well OK, it can be a one-pot meal or you may want to melt some butter. So technically, it may be a two pot meal if you include the melted butter.
Cocktail sauce is a great addition. You can typically buy good cocktail sauce near the fish department or make homemade cocktail sauce. Again, a needed new post, look for it soon.
Saltine crackers are also a favorite accompaniment in the South.
Ingredient Substitutions For Shrimp Boil
Shrimp – I’ve never really heard of a low country boil without shrimp but who says rules can’t be broken. Any shellfish can be substituted or added.
Sausage – My favorite is andouille. A nice spicy version of sausage.
Think about including a more mellow sausage too like polska kielbasa for non-spicy eaters.
Potatoes – My recipe calls for small red potatoes. You can use Yukon gold or any boiling potato.
If serving for a party, label the non-spicy versions. You won’t be around when everyone is serving themselves dinner so make it easy on your party guests by labeling the different dishes. I like using small chalkboards.
How To Take Low Country Boil On-The-Go
Low country boil is a great on-the-go meal in the sense that you can easily bring the party to your tailgate, picnic or beach meal. You just need to be staying at your party long enough to allow the pot and stand to cool down before heading for home.
You’ll need to keep the shrimp on ice and sausage in a cooler. It’s probably easier to keep the potatoes and corn in the cooler as well but isn’t necessary unless you’ll be in very hot weather or keeping it at room temperature for a long time.
Once cooked you’ll want to keep the low country boil in a cooler or with an ice pack. Ideally pack your cocktail sauce in its own container.
According to the FDA, cooked shrimp needs to be consumed within 2 hours. If it will stay out longer than serve on top of ice. Keep the shrimp in a cooler with ice or ice packs until ready to serve.
If taking to an outdoor picnic or tailgate, the shrimp should not sit out for more than an hour if it’s over 90 degrees.
Make sure when packing your cooler that’s it’s sanitized so there is no cross contamination.
Tips & Techniques, Make-Ahead Ideas For Low Country Boil Recipe
Slice sausage up to 2 days ahead.
Shuck and cut corn in half and store in cold water up to a day ahead to keep the corn plump and from drying out.
Wash and cut the potatoes in the morning and store in cold water to keep from discoloring.
Make cocktail sauce up to a week ahead if not buying bottled or from the fish department.
Our Seabrook Island Vacation
Seabrook Island is a stunning coastal island about 30 minutes south of Charleston, SC. With classic brilliant green salt marches, long, beautiful ocean beaches and luxurious amenities. Can you tell I love Seabrook Island?
My husband grew up coming to the island with his family and we’ve started a new tradition of bringing our own family here during the summer. A family reunion with my sister’s family, brother and my mother’s family. Lots of kayaking, fishing and fun times.
This year we were fortunate enough to rent a house on the marsh with a long dock where we stored our kayaks and put-in right there. The fishermen in the family loved tossing in a line in our “backyard” or while in the kayaks.
Low Country Boil was a perfect dinner as we had 12 people in our party. So easy, so delicious, such a beach perfect meal. See the process pictures in the backyard of our rental house with the marsh, dock and ocean right out our door!
I’m writing this post in the car on our way home, I miss it already………
The History Of Low Country Boil Recipe
Low country boil, Frogmore stew, Beuafort stew, one-pot, farmer’s seafood boil or shrimp boil. Call it what you want, as long as you have fresh ingredients and good friends it will taste great.
The low country is known for this easy meal. Geographically the low country stems from northern Florida to just north of Charleston, South Carolina. Thus the name Low Country Boil.
As far as Shrimp Boil, well, that name seems kind of obvious when you see the ingredient list.
So where does the weird name Frogmore stew come from? A story from Southern Kitchen says it’s named after a National Guardsman, Richard Gay, from a place called Frogmore on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.
He had to cook a meal with leftovers for 100 soldiers so created this easy meal for a crowd. Then brought the idea back with him and gave out copies of the recipe at his seafood store.
I’m not really sure of the origin of low country boil. Basically it’s a classic mashup of what’s readily available from the ocean with typical sides like corn and potatoes. So it very easily could have been created by local shrimpers or any seafood or shrimp lover.
Regardless of who first made the recipe, let’s thank them for an easy, delicious meal.
Perfect Occasions For Our Low Country Boil Recipe
Food for a crowd, party, tailgate, picnic, family vacation or get-together, fundraisers, group event, neighborhood block part, beach wedding or just for an easy dinner. It makes any weeknight meal a party.
Low Country Boil Recipe, South Carolina Style
Our low country boil recipe is a one-pot, easy-going, all-you-can-eat, roll-up-your-sleeves mouth-watering summer meal for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds medium size shrimp, shell on
- 2 pounds smoked sausage I like to use half andouille and half kielbasa
- 6 ears fresh corn on the cobb shucked and cut in half
- 3 pounds new potatoes like small red or gold, any kind of boiling potato
- 2 medium sweet onions, optional peeled and quartered
- 5 medium lemons washed, 2 quartered, 2 cut in wedges, 1 juiced
- 3/4 cup Old Bay seasoning or 4 (3 ounce) bags shrimp boil seasoning from Zatarain's
- 3 Tablespoons kosher salt split
- 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped for garnish
- 1 cup cocktail sauce
Lemon Garlic Butter
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional or to your liking
Instructions
-
Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts (20 cups) water. Add onions, the 2 quartered lemons, seasoning and 2 Tablespoons kosher salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and
let cook for about 15 minutes. -
Add potatoes, cook covered until tender, about 5-10 minutes
depending on the size of the potato. -
Add smoked sausage and corn, cook for about 5-10 minutes.
-
Add shrimp and cook until pink, only about 3 minutes or so. Drain.
Lemon Garlic Butter
-
While the water simmers, make your lemon garlic butter. Melt butter over medium heat, add garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
To Serve The Low Country Boil
-
Once drained and on the newspaper or in bowls, top with chopped parsley.
Serve with cocktail sauce, hot sauce, lemon wedges and lemon garlic butter.
Recipe Notes
You can cook a low country boil inside or out. Outside is the preferred method, really because it lends the vibe of an outdoor party, it also keeps the odor and mess outside. But you can do either way.
Outside, a turkey fryer setup is ideal. With a large pot and steamer insert hooked up to propane.
Inside, use your largest pot with a lid and preferably with a steamer insert.
If your pot isn’t big enough then cook in the order in the recipe for the low country boil, but drain after each step. Meaning cook the potatoes then drain directly from the steamer. Return steamer basket to the pot and add the smoked sausage and corn, cook then drain.
Finally add the shrimp.
Serve on newspaper covered table, directly on the newspaper. Or use large bowls or platters. Let the diners serve themselves.
Dessert: cobbler and ice cream is a great choice
I first had Low Country Boil when I lived on Hilton Head Island. I never got over it! It is still my favorite summer holiday gathering dinner and I now live in NH! Add tomato pie for a side and I’m transported to a wonderful summer many years ago!