Keep the Pots Boiling
Remember Sunday drives and those adventures along back roads? You might have one hand on the steering wheel, windows rolled down, sea breezes blowing through, and the other arm hanging out the window. All you need is a little devil-may-care swagger; life in no great hurry.
Sunday afternoons involve driving down dirt roads with sleeping dogs, gazing at houses painted haint blue to ward off evil spirits, or pulling into Machete Landing on St. Helena Island to see who’s out fishin’. Here, you might see local fishermen standing on the river bank gathering up pluff mud, mixing it with fish meal, and getting ready for their nightly trip down the river to bait shrimp. This day Trenchards Inlet is rough but not enough to deter men in search of some good eatin.’
No doubt those shrimp are going to end up in a good ‘ol backyard shrimp boil. That’s when the picnic table is covered with lots of newspaper and is about to be loaded with succulent shrimp, sausage, tender potatoes, and plenty of fresh corn. The thrill of communal dining and the eager anticipation of the feast is more than a meal; it's a celebration of our culture and a testament to our culinary traditions.
In case you’re new around here and haven’t heard, a shrimp boil is also known as a Lowcountry boil or Frogmore Stew. It’s a steaming concoction where local shrimp are the star of the show. Some folks have even been known to toss in some blue crabs. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s full of frogs. No frogs are allowed in this stew. Best of all, you can eat it with your fingers. Nor knives and forks allowed, either. Some say it is named for Frogmore, South Carolina, but whatever you call it, it’s some kinda good.
When it comes to ingredients, I’m a real stickler. Whatever you do, only use large, wild-caught local shrimp because imported, farm-raised shrimp are an abomination to your heritage and a blight on the family name.
I prefer red-skin potatoes cut in half and smoked sausage. I’ll use fresh corn on the cob or frozen if it is out of season. Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab Boil is my choice for seasoning. It comes in a tea-bag-like pouch, which is easy to retrieve from the pot, cut open, and spread atop the entire table of deliciousness.
This table will smell like salt and tide, and folks will devour the feast without even catching a breath. Everyone is happy ‘cause how could anyone be mad at anyone with a mouth full of shrimp.
Frogmore Stew
Serves 6
6 cut-in-half ears of corn on the cob
6 (4 inch) links smoked sausage
12 cut in half large red new potatoes
3 pounds of unpeeled fresh, local shrimp
1 box Zatarains Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab boil seasoning
Here’s how it must go: Fill a large pot with enough water to cover all the ingredients and bring it to a boil. Add the box of seasoning. Once the water is boiling, add the red potatoes and the sausage. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. Give everything a gentle stir to make sure it cooks evenly.
Get another rolling boil going and dump in the shrimp. Cook for one minute and give the pot another stir. This is where things get very critical. With boiled shrimp, a few seconds late can spell disaster. When the first shrimp turn pink and float, kill the heat and drain the pot.
Dump the entire pot onto a table lined with layers of newspaper. Finally, step back and admire the mountain of your awesome creation.