Low-Country Boil: Easy & Fun Seafood Goodness in One Pot
Posted On Monday, June 13, 2016
During summer vacation, many families and friends will converge at Topsail to celebrate and connect with one another. The warm summer evenings of coastal North Carolina create the perfect backdrop for an evening of delicious food and classic fun. However, when there are many mouths to feed, it can be quite a challenge to please the whole crowd. An even greater challenge is finding an easy, one-pot recipe that can be served to seafood fanatics and land-lovers alike. Filled with negotiable ingredients like shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, and sausage…a Low-Country Boil is just the dish to keep your crew gathered around the table.
Get Creative With Your Meal
One of the great things about this recipe is that you don't have to follow it to a "T". You can craft your boil to suit your own palate, and that of your family. Any ingredient that can be steamed or boiled can be added to this recipe. A few suggestions would be: blue crabs, snow crab legs, cabbage, squash, or green beans. Get creative, make substitutes, and make it your own. Another option is to cook your meal outdoors. A propane burner makes easy work of this already simple recipe.
If you are looking for fresh and local ingredients, be sure to visit the local seafood markets on Topsail (Surf City Crab or Atlantic Seafood Market) and local produce stands.
Make It Easy
Not only is this recipe a breeze to put together, but you can also make clean-up a snap! Layer newspaper on a table, dump your Low-Country Boil in the middle, call your crowd together, stand around the table, and chow down!! Plates are OPTIONAL! Be sure to add several rolls of paper towels to the table for wiping messy fingers...because those flimsy disposable napkins just won't cut it. Encourage your crew to leave their "trash" (paper towels, shrimp shells, corn cobs, etc.) right on the table. Then, when all tummies are full, simply roll up your newsprint tablecloth and toss it in the trash. Easey peasey.
Hushpuppies, Coleslaw and Cocktail Sauce...Oh My!
It will be up to you whether or not you decide to serve additional sides with your Low-Country Boil...which is a meal in and of itself. However, if you want to offer your family and guests a few more options, Southern tradition would suggest side dishes like hushpuppies, cole slaw, cucumbers in vinegar, fresh-squeezed lemonade and cornbread. A crusty artisan bread with herbed butter would be delicious also. To keep smiles around your table, be sure to serve melted butter and cocktail sauce. A spicy, made-from-scratch cocktail sauce is a simple way to impress your table-mates. No matter what items dress your menu, these suggestions have been enjoyed by generations of local North Carolinians and her visitors...and are sure to be a hit for you!
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