There was a Rally in SC recently where they made what is called Low Country Boil. It looks really good and I want to try it for a BBQ with the family this summer. Being born and bred in the North I have never seen or heard of this dish but am willing to try it.
I looked up multiple recipes online and checked out a few video's on youtube. If you could post your recipe and or technique I'd love to see it. It seems to me that it is a big pot of boiling water that you flavor with Old Bay or Zataran's (I've never cooked with either). Every 5 or 10 minutes you add a new item to the pot so that the things that need a long time to cook go in first and then at the end you add the last item that nees only 5 minutes.
It seems that you start out with Crab. What kind? I have never cooked crab. I have only eaten it in a restaurant. How do you buy it?
Next is potatoes and sausage. It seems that Kielbase is the main sausage. I am fine with that since I am Polish, but I am also Italian......can I put some sweet or hot Italian sausage in there?
Next is Corn.
Finally you end with Shrimp.
We will have some kids with us. Can we throw in a few hot dogs and fish them out for the kids that aren't adventerous?
Once it is done you drain and dump out on a table covered in newspaper, sit down and start eating. Why newspaper? Isn't newspaper dirty? The ink comes off on your hands. Can you use a clean table cloth? Or butcher paper?
Are there any sauces or condiments you have on the table?
Must you drain it quickly and all at once? I have a Turkey Deep frier that I would use and it has a spigot on the side to drain the oil. I would drain the water out of that rather than trying to pick up 6 gallons of boiling water, but I think the spigot might take a few minutes and I wouldn't want to make anything soggy.
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Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
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It seems that you start out with Crab. What kind? I have never cooked crab. I have only eaten it in a restaurant. How do you buy it?
Crab boil.......its a seasoning. Grocery stores have it.
Must you drain it quickly and all at once? I have a Turkey Deep frier that I would use and it has a spigot on the side to drain the oil. I would drain the water out of that rather than trying to pick up 6 gallons of boiling water, but I think the spigot might take a few minutes and I wouldn't want to make anything soggy.
Ours had baskets in our fryers over the weekend. Lift it out.....the food stays in and the water goes out, stays in the pot.
A basket is placed in the boiling pot which you lift up and drain the water then dump the contents. It is also called Frogmore Stew by some. A Low Country boil does not have crabs only shrimp. I believe you are confusing a red liquid that is added to the water called crab boil with actual crabs.
In Louisianna they do a crawfish boil in the same manner only omitting the sausage.
I would not put any uncooked sausage in the boil like Italian sausage.
Whoever thought this Low Country Boil would create such a stir. 🙂 Try it, you will love it. As for putting it out on newspaper, the newspapers in South Carolina are not dirty. They are in the Bible Belt and only use clean stuff. 😮 Seriously, you can put out the boil on whatever material you want, but the only Boils I have had (Low Country and Louisiana crawfish) were dumped on newspaper. Never had a problem with ink or such, just picking through the shells to get at the good stuff.
I agree with speckhunter80 about no raw sausage like Italian. It doesn't take that long to boil everything but raw sausage would be "iffy." Besides, the kielbase tastes great and the grease is boiled off. Just cut the sausage into bites of about 2 inches and the potatoes about the same
As for condiments: lemon wedges, cocktail sauce (the one in SC was out of this world!), and tartar sauce did the trick. We also had side dishes and salads as well as desserts. It feeds a lot of hungry folks in a simple but delicious manner. STAY HUNGRY.
Have had this made for us by friends in a much smaller batch, They simply poured it into a very large colander in the sink, but the basket would be great! Then it was served onto cookie sheets that were in the middle of a butcher paper covered table, outdoors. This way, the left overs could more easily be carried indoors. And the butcher paper caught any spill over. Then just put corn cobs and shrimp peals into plastic serving bowls that were easily dumped into the waste basket as they filled.
OK, so no raw sausage. I'm guessing the Hot Dogs for the kids would be OK though?
Anyone have any links to Crab Boil? I have never seen it in the store. Is it a brand name?
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
The brand I use is Old Bay Seasoning (made by McCormick & Co. out of Maryland) in a yellow spice can with blue and red writing. It's for Seafood, Poultry, Salads, Meats.... Look for it and probably other brands in the grocery spices section.
I recently used it in a chicken broth fondue boil rather than cooking chicken, shrimp, and beef in oil. Be careful with over use because some of the ingredients are red pepper, black pepper, cloves, ginger, and mace as well as some other "cooler" spices.
SpeckHunter....thanks for the links. I'll have to stop at the store today and see if we have it in the North :chef:
Judy.....I have never seen it before and it looks good (and JoeCamper and I are talking about how and when we might do it at a Rally in PA.)
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
Matt, I'd be interested in trying Zatarains if you find it. Since we're local, what store are you trying? I've used Old Bay (which I love) each time we've made it, adjusting the amount, but still didn't think it had enough spice flavor for our family.
That being said, we love the food ingredients, so it's a family favorite here & so very easy to make!
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Matt, I'd be interested in trying Zatarains if you find it.
I have seen that Zatarains at Wally World over here on the western side of the state. Never had a need to boil crabs, so I never gave it a 2nd thought but I know I have seen it on the shelf.
I was watching all this and I agree that Low Country Boil looks awesome.
Bud is correct with his recipe.
For shrimp - after potatoes / corn.....and water is at a rolling boil add shrimp. The shrimp will bring the boil down to a simmer. Once the water starts to boil again the shrimp is cooked. REMOVE SHRIMP IMMEDIATELY. If you leave the shrimp in any longer the peeling will stick to the meat of the shrimp.
Sausage - I would recommend a firm type of sausage like smoked. Hot dogs add at time of shrimp (do no over cook) If you are using crab/shrimp boil the hot dogs will pick up to much seasoning and will be to specie for kids.
Come on down to Louisiana's cajun country and I'll cook some up for you. Bring lots of beer because we spice the seafood up.
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