I call this my “lazy” recipe, because it is literally so EASY (you can make it complex but I think tastes just as good simple and easy) especially if you do not live near fresh shrimp or want to make a smaller pot for just your family inside. We normally would do this outside, but with it raining so much and with Shawn’s broken foot- we have been doing a lot more cooking inside, plus with beautiful MacKenzie-Childs pieces, how could you not want to cook in them?!
Some of you may not know what a Low-Country boil is, hehe, I think it is mostly a southern thing, but LET ME TELL YOU, it will quickly become a household favorite after you fix this-plus it is so fun to play with and really make your own.
We LOVE a good Low-Country Boil, and living in Murrells Inlet, MOST restaurants have them, but I am picky about the sausage I like and most will have clams, oysters, crab legs, crabs, etc and can get pretty pricy-especially if Shawn isn’t in the mood for a boil. I craved a low country boil my entire pregnancy and spent most of it in Virginia, so I would just throw this super simple and easy mix together and it was SO good- and much more affordable. My father in law makes the BEST low country boil- for our rehearsal dinner we had a “Shrimp Boil” and it couldn’t have been more perfect!
For family of 4:
1-1 1/2 cups of OLD BAY
1 Bag of Frozen EZ Peel Shrimp (4 Pounds), if you are near fresh shrimp, I would recommend fresh shrimp (UNPEELED is highly recommended for flavor)
1 Bag of Red Potatoes (I use about 8 potatoes and cut into cubes)
1 Polish Kielbasa Sausage (sliced)
1 Hot Kielbasa Sausage (sliced), use 2 Polish Kielbasa Sausage if you are not into spicy sausage
1 Package for Frozen Corn (halves) I use about 8, you can also use fresh corn but who has time for all of that, haha? #momlife
You can add 2 sweet or yellow onions, but Shawn would be the only one who eats onions in our house so I leave it out. IF we were doing this with friends or family here, I would add onions, crab legs, and lemon, and I would triple (maybe more if it is a party) this recipe but remember, we are just doing this for an easy dinner!
You will also need a large pot, we have the restaurant-grade equipment for when we do this outside (we are serious boilers yall, hehe) but for cooking inside I use this MacKenzie-Childs pot and I love this bowl for serving and this for straining. This triplicity is also perfect for your condiments.
Bo and I use cocktail sauce for our shrimp (store-bought is fine), and I also serve with SALTED drawn butter for more flavor. If you want to make your own cocktail sauce, you will need:
1 Cup of Raw Horseradish
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
1 cup of Ketchup
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice
Fill your pot up about halfway full and pour in your Old Bay (if you love Old Bay like we do, add your Old Bay in, then add some more, then a little more). Remember, when you put your ingredients in it will fill up, so BE CAREFUL it doesn’t overflow! Let that start boiling while you cut your sausage into about 1-inch slices. You can also go ahead and cut your red potatoes either in half or into smaller cubes so they will cook faster. You can also leave whole if they are smaller. If you choose to use fresh corn on the cob, you will need to shuck and cut those into half as well.
When the pot is boiling, add the frozen corn and potatoes. Let it come back up to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add in your sliced sausage (if you are using fresh corn you would add that now) and cook for another 5 minutes or so, make sure the water is boiling every time before you add something else!
When the potatoes are tender, it is now time to add in your frozen or fresh shrimp! Shrimp cooks super fast, so stand by and keep an eye on them. It will only take about 1-2 minutes for fresh shrimp and about 5-6 for the frozen shrimp. You don’t want to under or overcook the shrimp so just keep an eye on them. Once they are pink (like a really pretty color pink) they’re done!
You will then strain your pot into a strainer and then serve! You can either pour into a serving bowl like I did or for a fun true low country way, put a pan/newspapers down and dump your strainer onto the newspapers (THIS is how we would do it for a party/with friends and family) but since it is just us 3 tonight, a bowl was easier for us!
We all know NO Low-Country Boil is complete without an ICE COLD BUDLIGHT, he he- Cheers, Y’all!
Let me know how you make your Low-Country Boil below and stay tuned for my EASY Peach Cobbler Recipe!
PS. I think by now you all know that I am completely obsessed with MacKenzie-Childs. Not only are they handmade and almost all the pieces handprinted right here in the USA, they are simply stunning and make any kitchen look simply stunning! Here are a few of my absolute favorite pieces:
And right now, you spend $200 at MacKenzie-Childs you get 20% off your entire purchase!! Such a great time to stock up on these gorgeous pieces for summer.