Low Country Boil is a beloved Southern dish featuring a delightful combination of seasoned potatoes, kielbasa, corn, crab, and fresh shrimp, all served alongside a delectable garlic dipping sauce.
While you can certainly enjoy this Crab and Shrimp Boil recipe by serving it on plates like a traditional dinner, it’s even more enjoyable to host a classic Low Country Boil Dinner Party. Embrace the spirit of this meal by laying out craft paper on a picnic table and pouring this seafood-packed dish onto it. There’s no need for fancy dishes—just grab some paper bags, plastic forks, and paper towels for the easiest cleanup!
One of the greatest aspects of a seafood boil is that you can prepare an entire meal in a single pot. If you’re not from the South, this cooking method might be new to you, but once you’ve experienced it, you may find it hard to go back to cooking seafood any other way.
A Low Country Boil is a delightful Southern dish that begins with a combination of potatoes, sausage, and corn. It gets even better when you introduce whole blue crabs and, most importantly, fresh shrimp to the mix! This dish is ideal for feeding a crowd, especially at outdoor gatherings. When it’s fully cooked, simply strain all the ingredients before pouring them directly onto a table for everyone to enjoy. You can drizzle the garlic butter on top or serve it in dipping cups, allowing your friends and family to indulge in this buttery and savory seafood feast. It’s a wonderful communal dining experience!
What is a Low Country Boil?
A classic Southern Low-Country Boil, also known as Frogmore Stew, is the epitome of traditional Southern cuisine. This hearty seafood boil hails from South Carolina and features a delightful medley of fresh seafood, tender potatoes, smoky sausage, and sweet corn. The ingredients are simmered in a blend of spices commonly found in Low Country cuisine, offering a milder flavor profile compared to the spicier Cajun seasoning used in a Louisiana Boil. Typically, this dish is served family-style, spread out on a table lined with paper, accompanied by melted butter and warm bread. It’s a true Southern feast!
How to Make Low Country Boil
Prep: Prepare the boil ingredients by slicing the kielbasa, cutting the corn into thirds, cleaning and peeling the shrimp, and optionally you can break the crab into pieces.
Butter: Add butter, garlic, salt, and paprika to a small saucepan over low heat. Let it melt slowly. Stir the melted butter well, and cook for another 30 seconds before turning the heat off. Set the sauce to the side until you’re ready to serve.
Broth: Fill a large stock pot, with the steamer basket if you have one, with 8 cups of water and stir in the Old Bay Seasoning. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil, then add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
Boil: Add the sausage pieces, corn cobs, and whole crab and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid out of the stockpot. If you are using a steamer basket, just remove it and let all the liquid drain.
Serve: Pour the Low Country Boil onto an outdoor table covered with craft paper or onto a large platter. Serve the butter on the side or drizzle over everything. Serve with cold beer and toasted bread.
Essential Elements
Garlic Butter Sauce: Prepare an easy garlic butter sauce by combining minced garlic, butter, paprika, and kosher salt. It’s important to cook this sauce first to allow the flavors to meld while it rests.
Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning is a quintessential flavor addition for Southern cuisine, especially when preparing a seafood boil. This unique blend features a medley of spices such as paprika, white pepper, mustard, red pepper flakes, and allspice, adding complexity and a mild heat to the seafood boil.
Corn: Take fresh corn cobs and cut them into three pieces. This makes the corn more manageable, yet the pieces remain large enough to enjoy directly from the cob.
Seafood: For an authentic Low Country Boil experience, fresh shrimp is a must. However, you can also use frozen and thawed shrimp if that’s more convenient. Whole blue crabs not only add a delightful presentation but also offer a unique flavor. If you prefer, you can chop them into smaller pieces for easier consumption.
Sausage: Spiced and smoky kielbasa sausage introduces savory notes and a distinct texture contrast to the tender potatoes and seafood.
Potatoes: Opt for baby new potatoes due to their small size and thin, delicate skin, which makes them ideal for boiling. They become wonderfully soft on the inside while maintaining their shape throughout the boil.
Variations
Lemon: Enhance the seafood boil with a delightful, fresh lemon flavor that complements the shellfish perfectly. Thickly slice lemons and include them in the cooking liquid along with the Old Bay seasoning. After boiling, remember to remove the cooked lemon slices. To offer guests the option of adding more lemon juice, serve the dish with fresh lemon wedges as a garnish.
Sausage: If you’re out of kielbasa, don’t worry! You have the flexibility to substitute it with various sausages like andouille sausage, chorizo, or German smoked sausage, depending on your preference and what’s available.
Vegetables: Feel free to diversify your vegetable selection by adding different options such as green beans, onions, cauliflower, carrots, or peppers to complement the corn and potatoes already in the recipe. This customization allows you to tailor the dish to your liking.
Seafood: For a more upscale dinner, swap out the whole crabs with crab legs and claws or include some lobster tails and claws. You can also introduce additional seafood options like mussels, clams, crawfish, or scallops to create a seafood boil that suits your taste and preferences.
32 ounces cooked kielbasa sausage , sliced in 1″ pieces
4 ears yellow corn , cut into thirds
5 pounds whole crab ,broken into pieces
4 pounds fresh shrimp ,peeled and deveined (13-15 count)
8 cups water
Instructions
Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce:
In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine the butter, garlic, salt, and paprika.
Slowly melt the mixture, stirring occasionally, while you proceed with cooking the boil.
Once fully melted, give it a thorough stir and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Country Boil:
In a very large stockpot, set the heat to medium-high, and add the Old Bay Seasoning along with 8 cups of water. Bring this mixture to a boil. If you have a steamer basket insert for your pot, it can be quite handy to use.
Introduce the potatoes and let them cook for approximately 10 minutes.
Add in the sausage, corn, and crab, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Finally, incorporate the shrimp into the mix, and cook for about 3 minutes.
Strain the cooking liquid thoroughly. An efficient method is to simply lift out the steamer basket and allow it to drain.
Transfer the contents onto an outdoor table covered with craft paper, paper grocery bags (with the inside facing upward), or newspaper (although this is not the preferred choice).
Serve your Low Country Boil alongside some cold beer and slices of French bread. Keep additional plates or bags handy on the table for disposing of discarded shells or corn cobs.
When enjoying the feast, you can drizzle the melted garlic butter over the boil or provide it in a small cup as a dipping sauce.
Savor the flavors of this delightful Southern seafood boil! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please feel free to ask.
One of the greatest aspects of a seafood boil is that you can prepare an entire meal in a single pot. If you’re not from the South, this cooking method might be new to you, but once you’ve experienced it, you may find it hard to go back to cooking seafood any other way.
A Low Country Boil is a delightful Southern dish that begins with a combination of potatoes, sausage, and corn. It gets even better when you introduce whole blue crabs and, most importantly, fresh shrimp to the mix! This dish is ideal for feeding a crowd, especially at outdoor gatherings. When it’s fully cooked, simply strain all the ingredients before pouring them directly onto a table for everyone to enjoy. You can drizzle the garlic butter on top or serve it in dipping cups, allowing your friends and family to indulge in this buttery and savory seafood feast. It’s a wonderful communal dining experience!
