Low Country Boil

Can you believe that the holidays are upon us again so soon? If you are like most of us, you will have plenty of holiday parties and events to attend; and you might even host a few yourself. Tradition says that very often the main course at these gatherings will be the holiday staples of turkey or ham; or maybe both. And by the time it’s all over with I have had so much of both of them—along with pumpkin pies and other standard holiday fare—that I’m hopeful I won’t see them again for another year!

I enjoy all of those foods in moderation. But, I can appreciate some out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to picking the menu for a holiday feast. And being from the deep south, one of my favorite unusual holiday meals is a low country boil (which is actually not that uncommon down home when the holidays roll around). In fact, if you have ever seen Steel Magnolias—one of my very favorite movies and practically required watching for girls in the south—you’ve probably noticed that in the scene where they attend the Christmas Lights Festival, they are serving low country boil. I love that movie and I love this meal. I recently shared this article and recipe with the magazine I’m contributing t0, StreetScape, and they asked for me to think outside of the box. In other words a not so ho-hum holiday.

I’m not suggesting it would be a great idea to have this meal for lunch on Thanksgiving without revolt from family and guests! But hey, if you want to switch it up and surprise your guests, go for it! One year for Thanksgiving, we decided to do filet mignon and we haven’t heard the end it to this day with our girls! Turkey is a stable at Thanksgiving, some things just have to remain a tradition. But most of us still have guests after the big day, which means you have to feed said guests and this is a quick, easy, yummy meal that feeds many, and I promise they will be talking about it for years to come! And the best part, clean up is super easy! It’s a no frills dinner with no sort of formality, throw it out on a table and dig in!

If you want to try something a little different this holiday season, give this low country boil a try. If the weather doesn’t cooperate for you to do it outside, you can do it inside on the stove. You will just need a large stockpot to be sure all the items will fit and also cook to perfection. I’ll be sharing a yummy dessert soon that is certain to WOW your guests! Hope y’all enjoy! Have a great week!

Low Country Boil

5lbs jumbo shrimp

5 lbs red potatoes (if they are rather large, cut them in half)

2 lbs smoked sausage (cut the sausage in to about 1 inch links)

1 bag of 12 frozen mini corn on the cob

Old Bay Seasoning

Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning

1 bag of Shrimp and Crab Boil

Fill a large stock pot with water and get the water to a rolling boil. (Caution: Do not fill the water to the top of the pot. About half or a bit more.) Once the water is boiling, add the Old Bay Seasoning and Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Unfortunately I do not have exact measurements for the seasoning. I suggest you start with a small amount and then taste test. You can always add more.

Once your seasonings are added and water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 25 minutes.

Add the corn and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the sausage and the Crab Boil and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Take the shrimp out immediately as the hot water will continue to cook them even if you have turned

the burner off. We like to throw the boil out on the table and let everyone serve themselves. On this particular evening I served it up out of my large cast iron dutch oven. Enjoy!