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    Home » All Recipes » Entertaining Ideas

    Marie's Low Country Boil Recipe

    Published: Mar 10, 2022

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    Marie’s Low Country Boil Recipe, AKA "Frogmore Stew". This is an easy, flavourful way to feed a couple... or a crowd! Highly customizable, too!

    Originally published July 17, 2010. Updated on 3/10/2022

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    Everyone's heard variations on the saying "The cobbler's kids go barefoot", and it's not all that different around here at times.

    Sure, we have great meals on a regular basis.. but when things get super busy, we tend to lose all creativity and drive, and slap together one of our go-to meals.

    Easy, little effort, and very satisfying.

    In winter, that usually ends up being chili.. but in summer, we love our low country boil.. not a common thing anywhere we’ve lived, but it is SO freaking good!

    It's also pretty much the perfect recipe for getting together - and would be easy way to feed a rehearsal dinner or small, casual wedding dinner.

    Hubby and I actually planned to do a Low Country Boil for our own rehearsal dinner, but his stepmother already had something planned.

    Figured I'd put that out there for those of you looking for new and unique ideas to employ in your own wedding plans!

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    What is Low Country Boil?

    Lowcountry boil is a general concept / dish that’s known by several different names: beaufort stew, beaufort boil, frogmore stew, seafood boil, tidewater boil, etc.

    When a single type of seafood is used, the name used will usually specify: crab boil, shrimp boil, crawfish boils, etc.

    Basically the ultimate one-pot meal in the summertime, with potatoes, corn and meat being cooked together in a large pot of flavoured water.

    It’s incredibly popular in the southern USA, but wasn’t really well known in Minnesota when we lived there. Here in Hamilton, I know of one local company who does them.

    Anyway, this Southern dish can be done so many ways, and we never do two exactly the same.

    It can be a quick and easy meal for 2, or it can be the basis for a GREAT low country boil party with a big group of friends.

    Additionally, it can be a frugal, thrifty thing.. or as extravagant as you want.

    Whatever you end up using in it, the technique is simple:

    You get a big pot of seasoned water boiling, and one by one add the ingredients to the pot, starting with potatoes (take the longest to cook), and ending with shrimp (take very little time to cook).

    A close up view of a batch of frogmore stew: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    MY Low Country Boil

    Of course, I never do anything the way you're supposed to.. and besides, I'm not even American, much less southern.

    That means I'm exempt from any rules that may be applied here, right? LOL.

    The big change I like to make is with the seasoning: You're "supposed to" use Old Bay Seasoning for this.

    I do not.

    Not only is Old Bay boring, but the salt content is wild, and besides.. customization is always more fun!

    So, I build a flavourful broth to start, and add flavour as I go. No worries, it’s actually really easy to do!

    A box of frozen scallops in the shells.

    Gorgeous scallops that we added to a recent boil.

    Low Country Boil Ingredients

    The Broth

    While traditionally this is usually a pot of water with some Old Bay in it, I like to start the whole thing off by getting a flavourful broth on the go.

    You can start your broth off in different ways - use some chicken broth, boil fresh shrimp shells (without the shrimp in them!) for added flavor - just remove the shells before adding your food and other seasonings in!

    Also, adding a can or two of beer to your water / broth adds a great flavor. Any of these is a much better option than just water and Old Bay Seasoning, in my not so humble opinion!

    I like using a mix of fresh (onions, garlic, green onions, jalapenos, etc) and dried (sage, pepper, dried mustard, parsley, bay leaves, etc) ingredients to flavor my broth.

    As a general idea, I’ll use some or all of the following - in rough amounts - to build the broth:

    1 onion for every 3 people - I’ll usually use yellow onions or vidalia onions.

    1 lemon for every 3 or so people.

    Beer – about 1 can for every 2-3 people being served. Maybe more, maybe less – it’s entirely optional.

    Chicken broth or seafood stock - Optional, use as much or as little as you want.

    Garlic – as much as you want.

    Green onions - Optional.. a couple chopped green onions for every few people is usually good.

    Jalapenos, habaneros, or whatever - Optional, chop a few for every few people being served,

    Smoked paprika, smoked serrano powder, cayenne, etc- I’ll just use as much seasoning as I’m in the mood for. If I don’t have jalapenos or habaneros for the broth, I’ll use more smoked serrano. If I have a lot of fresh peppers, I’ll skip or go light on the pepper-based seasonings.

    Dried sage – 1 teaspoon for every 3 or so being served.

    Black pepper – as much as you like.

    Dried mustard powder – as much as you’d like.

    Bay Leaves – 1bay leaf for every few being served.

    Dried Parsley – add a handful for color.

    A close up view of a batch of frogmore stew: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    Main Ingredients

    The ingredients are also customizable.

    Fresh corn, Potatoes, Shrimp, and Sausage are a good solid foundation.. but feel free to add clams, mussels, and even crab legs. It's your stew!

    As a general idea:

    Potatoes - Usually ⅓ lb per person or more - we like to have leftovers for making hashbrowns!

    If you have fingerling or baby potatoes, you can use whole potatoes. Otherwise, small red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes - halved or quartered - are good chocies.

    Sausage - ½ lb per person. We’ll usually use a smoked sausage like Kielbasa, but you can use any kind of firm sausage you like - beef sausage, spicy sausage, etc.

    Pick something that will hold up to being simmered for 30+ minutes.

    Fresh Shrimp - About ⅓ lb shrimp per person. The shrimp isn’t the best as leftovers, so we’ll usually temper the amount of shrimp used.

    Other Shellfish - If you have access to nice, fresh seafood, you can add whatever you want. Blue crabs, crab claws, crab legs, scallops in the shell, mussels, clams, crayfish, etc.

    Fresh Ears of Corn - 1 cob per person, shucked and halved

    Several cobs of corn that have been shucked and cut in half.

    How to Cook a Low Country Boil

    Note, while this is a great recipe, it’s less of a “low country boil recipe”, and more of a loose set of guidelines!

    Get a big pot of an appropriate size for the amount of food you’re looking to cook. The more people being served, the bigger the pot!

    We’ll usually use a 6 quart pot for the 2 of us, and a large stockpot when we have friends over.

    Serving a large crowd? You can use several stock pots, or just rent a giant pot for the occasion!

    Build Your Cooking Liquid

    Fill the large pot about ⅓ full (to start) with water.

    Add chicken stock and/or beer if you’re going to, as well as everything else from the broth ingredients that you’re using. Also, whatever else you want to use to flavor it.

    Bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

    A 2 part image showing the inital flavouring ingredients being combined in a large pot.

    Timing Your Cooking

    The big thing to keep in mind is the timing of ingredient additions, as the cook time varies by the item used.

    You want them all to be cooked, but not OVERCOOKED - and there’s a variety of cook times involved. This is how I work it, once I’m happy with the broth and have it simmering:

    1. Add potatoes and sausage, adding more water if necessary . There should be enough water / broth to cover the foods you’ll be cooking.

    Sausage doesn't take long to cook, but it will add a great flavor to the water - and potatoes. Turn stove or grill down to medium heat, cook for 30 mins or so.

    A 2 part image showing the chicken broth and water added to the pot, and the pot simmering.

    2. Add the corn, cook another 5 minutes.

    3. Add the Shrimp, and any other seafood you may want to add. Cook another 5 minutes, or until it's done - Shrimp should be pink, scallops, clams and mussels fully open, etc.

    The pot of low country boil with frozen scallops added, before and after the shells open from cooking.

    Discard any mussels, clams, scallops, etc that do not open.

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    Serving Low Country Boil

    Traditionally, you're supposed to strain everything out and dump it out in the middle of a newspaper-covered big table - newspaper covered, ideally a picnic table - for a wild free-for-all.

    While this is great fun for a cookout, we usually end up straining everything out using a large slotted spoon, and serving it in a big bowl or on large platters - reserving the broth.

    We’ll usually have bottles of various condiments on hand (transferred to a small bowl, when that makes sense):

    Cocktail sauce
    Dijon mustard
    Hot sauce
    Melted butter

    All great options - use some/all of these, or whatever else you'd like to dip your food in.

    Have some lemon wedges on hand also - usually a couple of lemons worth.

    While we usually skip side dishes altogether, you can’t go wrong serving this with a big platter of sourdough bread slices, and/or a little bit of green salad on the side.

    As for beverages, a pitcher of sweet tea keeps the whole thing on theme!

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    Leftovers

    We usually save the broth (well, “sludge”, as we call it!) for the next batch, usually the next day.

    Saving the broth is not only thrifty and makes it SO fast to slap on supper on a moment's notice, it also grows the flavor.

    We'll add another lemon, or more jalapenos, or whatever... Yum.

    The Best Hashbrowns Ever

    Our penchant for making Low Country Boil - and not wasting anything - led us to the BEST HASHBROWNS EVER.

    We have a standalone recipe for it here - The BEST Hash Browns Recipe - but basically:

    Potatoes cooked in the seasoned broth used for this boil - chilled overnight, cut up, and fried - make WILD hashbrowns.

    Try it!

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    More Sweet Corn Recipes

    Fan of sweet corn? I’ve got more recipes for you!

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    Cover image for the "Maize Craze" cookbook. Several photos of corn based recipes are pictured in a collage.

    This recipe is one of many spectacular sweet corn recipes featured in my cookbook, Maize Craze. It’s available here on my website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.

    A close up view of a batch of low country boil: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

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    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star review and/or a comment below!

    A close up view of a batch of frogmore stew: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.

    A close up view of a batch of frogmore stew: Red potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 3 votes

    Marie’s Low Country Boil

    This makes a substantial amount of food, so don’t be surprised if you have leftovers. It also makes ridiculously good food, so don’t be surprised if you don’t have leftovers because everyone gorged till they had nothing left to eat!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time50 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Author: Marie Porter
    Cost: $20

    Equipment

    • Large pot

    Ingredients

    Broth:

    • 1 onion for every 3 people being served Quartered
    • 1 lemon for every 3 or so people being served Quartered
    • Beer – about 1 can for every 2-3 people being served. Maybe more, maybe less – it’s entirely optional.
    • Chicken broth Optional, use as much or as little as you want
    • Garlic – as much as you want
    • Green onions Optional.. a couple chopped green onions for every few people is usually good
    • Jalapenos, habaneros, or whatever Optional, chop a few for every few people being served
    • Dried sage – 1 teaspoon for every 3 or so being served
    • Pepper – as much as you like
    • Dried mustard powder – as much as you’d like.
    • Bay Leaves – 1 for every few being served
    • Dried Parsley – add a handful for color.

    Main Ingredients, Per Person:

    • ⅓ lb New Red Potatoes Halved or quartered
    • ½ lb Smoked Sausage like Kielbassa
    • ⅓ lb Raw Shrimp
    • 1 Ear Fresh Corn
    • Whatever else you want – clams, crab, mussels, etc

    Instructions

    • Get a pot of an appropriate size for the amount of food you’re looking to cook. The more people being served, the bigger the pot!
    • Fill it about ⅓ full (to start) with water. Add chicken stock and/or beer if you’re going to, as well as everything else from the broth ingredients that you’re using. Also, whatever else you want to use to flavor it. Bring it to a boil.
    • Add potatoes and sausage, adding more water if necessary. Sausage doesn’t take long to cook, but it will add a great flavor to the water – and potatoes. Cook for 30 mins or so.
    • Add the corn, cook another 5 minutes.
    • Add the Shrimp, and any other seafood you may want to add. Cook another 5 minutes, or until it’s done – Shrimp should be pink, clams and mussels fully open, etc. Discard any mussels, clams, etc that do not open.
    • Traditionally, you’re supposed to strain everything out, and dump it out in the middle of a newspaper-covered table for a savage free for all. While this is great fun for a cookout, we usually end up straining everything into a large mixing bowl. In either case, serve it up with cocktail sauce, dijon mustard, or whatever else you’d like to dip your food in. Dig in!

    Notes

    * We usually save the water for the next batch. Saving the broth is not only thrifty and makes it SO fast to slap on supper on a moment’s notice, it also grows the flavor. We’ll add another lemon, or more jalapenos, or whatever… Yum.
    * We usually put on more potatoes than this, to ensure leftovers. Chill them overnight, cut them up and fry them in a little oil for the BEST hash browns ever.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin

      January 03, 2013 at 7:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love your ideas for adding some flair to the broth! As a Southern girl, I'm impressed with your ingenuity!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 12 Seafood Boil Recipes For Easy One-Pot Dinners - Coastal Wandering says:
      December 12, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      […] A versatile southern dish, this quick and easy meal is a flavorful and filling meal that everyone is sure to love. Recipe here. […]

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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