Lowcountry Boil

Frogmore Stew — named for a community on St. Helena Island, South Carolina — is the great communal feast of the American Lowcountry coast. Shrimp, smoked sausage, sweet corn and new potatoes are boiled together in a fiercely spiced crab-boil broth and then dumped in a glorious heap onto a newspaper-covered table. It is a celebration in a pot.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) large shell-on shrimp, heads on if possible
• 450g (1 lb) smoked andouille or kielbasa sausage, sliced into 5cm (2-inch) rounds
• 4 ears sweet corn, each cut into thirds
• 700g (1.5 lb) small new potatoes, halved if large
• 3 tbsp (45g) Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp (15g) fine salt
• 1 tsp (5g) black pepper, cracked
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 lemons, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 litres (4 quarts) water
• Cocktail sauce, melted butter and hot sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. Bring water to a rolling boil in your largest pot. Add Old Bay, salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf and the juice of 1 lemon. Squeeze lemon halves into the pot and drop them in.
2. Add potatoes. Cook 10 minutes at a steady boil.
3. Add sausage. Cook 5 minutes.
4. Add corn. Cook 4 minutes.
5. Add shrimp. Cook 2–3 minutes only, until just pink and curled. Do not overcook.
6. Drain immediately through a colander. Spread onto a newspaper-lined table or a large platter.
7. Serve with cocktail sauce, melted butter, hot sauce and remaining lemon halves.

Cook's Notes: The timing is everything — add ingredients in reverse order of cooking time so everything finishes together. Use the biggest pot you own. Shell-on shrimp stay juicier and are part of the messy, hands-on fun of a proper Frogmore Stew.