It wouldn’t be a proper seafood spread without an epic shrimp boil. This hands-on meal is often cooked in a much larger pot, but we’ve downsized this crowd favorite to fit in your trusty Dutch oven.
Lowcountry Boil
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 10 cups water
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, divided
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 7 cloves garlic
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 pound baby red potatoes
- 4 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1 inch thick
- 2 pounds unpeeled large fresh shrimp
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Lemon wedges, to serve
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a 7-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, bring 10 cups water, ⅓ cup Old Bay, onion, garlic, and bay leaves to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes; cook just until tender, about 12 minutes. Add corn and sausage; cook until corn and potatoes are tender and sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat; stir in shrimp. Cover and let stand until shrimp are pink and firm, 5 to 7 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together butter, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon Old Bay.
- Drain shrimp and vegetables from cooking liquid; discard bay leaves. Serve with butter mixture and lemon. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
A seafood boil goes by many names in the South. Lowcountry boil, Frogmore stew, and Beaufort boil are common terms in Georgia and South Carolina and almost always mean specifically a shrimp boil. Crawfish boils are, of course, most popular in Louisiana but are also common in other Gulf Coast areas. In coastal Virginia and Maryland, seafood boils most frequently refer to crab boils.
