What is a low country boil? It's a simple prep of easy to find, inexpensive ingredients.
It's a pile of food, poured out on the table to get your mouth watering.
It's a bunch of friends standing around that pile of food, eating with their hands, laughing, talking and enjoying an amazing meal together.
It is also shrimp, potatoes, corn & sausage all cooked together that brings a little kick and maybe needs a cold beverage nearby to cool your mouth.
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet vedalia onions, quartered
3 lemon's, halved
2 tbs salt
2 tbs cayenne pepper
2 - 3oz bags of Zatarain's Shrimp boil seasoning
3 tbs cayenne powder
3 tbs Slap Ya Mamma cajun seasoning
3 lbs red potatoes, halved or quartered to bit size pieces
2 lbs andouille sausage
4 ears of corn, cut into 2in pieces
3 lbs medium to large shrimp, shells on (3/4 lb per person)
Lemon Garlic Butter:
1 stick butter
2 tbs lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cajun seasoning
Directions:
Ahead of time, soften the butter then mix in the remaining ingredients. Once incorporated, put back in fridge till ready.
Prep the table by covering with news paper or butchers paper.
Fill a large pot with 8 quarts of water, add onions, squeeze the lemons into the water then add the lemons. Add the salt, cayenne, Slap Ya Mamma & Zatarain's and bring to a boil. We use a small turkey fryer and cook outside but you can do this in the kitchen as well.
Once boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes till just getting tender. Add the andouille & corn then cook for another 10 minutes.
Take the butter and slowly warm it back up till it is melted but not separated. Put on the side of the table
Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes till you see the shrimp curl and turn pink.
Use a strainer and quickly remove all the ingredients, dumping into a pile on the table.
Sprinkle a little more cajun seasoning on top if desired. Eat with your hands dipping every bite into the butter.
BTW, a roll or two of paper towels at the table will be a welcomed addition.
Notes:
Adding other seafood like crawfish, blue crab, clams, oysters... is a great way to use what you can get around you.