Low Country Boil
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Tis the season for country boils.
Country boils are essentially giant pots of water seasoned generously with Old Bay seasoning and Cajun spices, and are packed full of Andouille sausage, shrimp, corn, potatoes and onions. You can add crabs, clams, and lobsters too (those things just weren’t in the Starving Chef’s budget this week).
To start, add your favorite Cajun spice blend into a large pot of water along with some Old Bay seasoning. Add the potatoes and onions to the pot, since those will take the longest to cook. Pop the chunks of sausage in next.
When the potato is nearly fork tender, add the corn on the cob to the pot. Since my boil was basically just for myself and Nick, I broke up a couple ears of corn into mini-cobs for easier consumption. Let me tell you, if you ever want to feel super strong, try to break an ear of uncooked corn in half with your hands – it’s shockingly easy to do. I felt like the Hulk while snapping the sweet corn cobs between my fists!
A pro tip to boiling corn: only let the corn cook until the water starts to boil again. Because I was trying to time everything out perfectly, I added the shrimp to the pot about a minute before the water hit a rolling boil again.
As soon as the shrimp has cooked through – remove the pot from the heat!
Low country boils are also usually served on sheets of newspaper – which I didn’t even realize was a thing until after I had already eaten my meal! I served mine alongside some chunky beer bread
Low Country Boil
Equipment
- newspaper or parchment for serving
Ingredients
- 16 oz raw shrimp peeled, tails on
- 4 ears corn snapped in half
- 2 links Andouille sausage chopped
- 8 oz rainbow or fingerling potatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Cajun spice blend
- salt & pepper to taste
- crusty bread for serving
- butter for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a bubble. Add the Old Bay and Cajun seasonings.
- Wash the potatoes and cut any larger potatoes in half. Chop the onions into cubes. Drop the onions and potatoes into the boiling water and let cook for about fifteen minutes, or until the potatoes are nearly fork tender.
- Add the Andouille sausage pieces into the water. When the water returns to a boil, pop in the corn cobs.
- When the water is just starting to return to a boil, pour in the shrimp. When the shrimp has turned pink and is cooked through, remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour the pot into a colander. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Spread the meal across dry newspaper along with some crusty bread and butter. Call the fam to the low country boil and enjoy!
