Email to Cat      

Low-Country Boil

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"Head down to coastal North and South Carolina and you'll always find people having low-country boils on the beach. When I was in college, my friends and I would head to the beach, build a fire pit, and cook up some seafood, sausage, and corn. Whether you have a low-country boil on the beach or in your backyard, you'll need the biggest pot you can find, preferably one with a basket insert. There's something here for everyone - crabs and shrimp for seafood lovers, sausage for landlubbers, and corn on the cob and potatoes for all. If you can't locate crabs, double up on the shrimp. Once everything is cooked, the liquid is drained off (here's where the insert basket comes in handy) and the crab, shrimp, sausage, and vegetables are spilled out onto newspaper-lined picnic tables. Let's eat!"

List of Ingredients

◦  4 pounds small red potatoes
◦  2 12-ounce cans beer
◦  3 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
◦  5 pounds snow or king crabs, broken into pieces
◦  2 pounds kielbasa or other smoked sausage, sliced crosswise into 2-inch pieces
◦  6 to 8 fresh ears of corn, halved
◦  4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
◦  Melted butter
◦  Cocktail sauce


Recipe

Put the potatoes in a large, deep pot and cover with 4 quarts water. Add the beer and Old Bay Seasoning, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Add the crabs, kielbasa, and corn and return to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced easily with a knife, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and boil until they are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Carefully drain the pot and spread the contents on a picnic table covered with newspaper. Serve with the melted butter and cocktail sauce.


Makes 6 to 8 servings