We made Low Country Boil (also called Frogmore Stew) for my son's high school graduation. It's an easy meal to put together, and makes for a fun outdoor party.
You can make Low Country Boil inside in a big pot like my son is doing here:
More often Low Country Boil is an outdoor project though. You'll often see people using an outdoor gas burner with a big pot. These set ups are usually called turkey fryers. They can be dangerous though, so we use the Masterbuilt Butterball indoor/outdoor turkey fryer. It's like a big fryer for French fries, but you have more room and can fry a turkey or you can make other dishes with the Masterbuilt like Low Country Boil.
Once you decide on how and where you'll make the Low Country Boil whether it be inside or out, you will need the following ingredients:
Low Country Boil Grocery List (for approximately 8 people)
1. Crab boil (2 teaspoons per quart of water). Crab boil is labeled just like that - crab boil.It's usually sold at the seafood counter, but it can also be found in some grocery stores with baking items like flour and cornmeal.
2. 6 good smoked sausage links (sliced kind of thick). We like the IGA brand Italian sausages which are kind of spicy. There are many varieties. It's fun to try out different ones to see what everyone likes or to have a mix.
3. 15 new red thin-skinned potatoes. Don't slice them. You want the potatoes whole so that they do not get watery.
4. 6 ears of fresh corn (cut in small rounds). You might be able to use frozen corn on the cob, but I've never tried that. Fresh corn is much tastier.
5. 3 pounds uncooked shrimp (unpeeled - heads on or off). This can be fresh (really great) or also frozen but thawed out before making the Low Country Boil.
How to Make Low Country Boil
1. Fill a big pot with water (my home pot is a 12 quart). Add crab boil seasoning and bring to a boil. Play around with the crab boil. Some families like more (and a few like less).
2. Add the potatoes and sausage and let cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
3. Add the corn and cook 10 more minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 or 3 minutes depending on the size. The shrimp should turn an orange like color. Don't overcook at this point or the shrimp will be tough. Once it's orange, it's ready.
5. Pour the water off the food. Get as much water off as possible, since it gets the newspaper wet when the Frogmore Stew is served.
6. Cover a picnic or folding table with newspaper. If it's windy, a little tape is helpful (or you can buy plastic clamps).
7. Dump the Low Country Boil on the newspaper (or butcher paper) and let everyone eat right off the papers or hand out paper plates so eveyone can mingle around.
8. Obviously you'll want plenty of paper towels on hand, because you're going to get kind of messy. That's half the fun but also why this is a good outdoor meal.
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