Does your tummy turn over when thinking about Frogmore Stew? Wondering how many more frogs are required for this South Carolina specialty? Frogmore Stew is a one-pot mix—a “boil”—of the Lowcountry’s peak summer offerings. The chef uses fresh local shrimp, preferably the white variety, with the heads still on (brown shrimp will do in season but definitely never frozen). A delicious example of South Carolinas low-country cooking, Frogmore stew is named for a tiny town on the coastal island of St. Helena Island near Beaufort. In the 1980s, however, the postal service abolished the name Frogmore. Now more commonly called a Lowcountry Boil, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. Frogmore Stew is one of the best things around to eat.
This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd. Lowcountry boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot.
- 2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning per gallon water (or more to taste)
- several lemons, halved (optional)
- redskin potatoes (depending on size, 3 or more per person)
- spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch slices (¼ pound per person)
- fresh corn, broken into halves or thirds (1 ½ ears per person)
- shrimp (½ pound per person)
- butter, melted
- cocktail sauce
- sour cream
- ketchup
