When you think of summer foods, what instantly comes to mind? Hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, s’mores. But what about a meal that brings the sunshine, fun and friends together in a culinary experience that’s meant to be shared—the Low-Country Seafood Boil. “Low-country boils are meant to be messy, low-maintenance and fun!” says Allison Simmons, resident fishmonger at Seafood Station. “Rather than plates, everything is dumped on a giant table and served family-style.” Yep, just cook, dump, dig in. Ready?
Chef Jeff’s Low-County Boil
Ingredients
“Recipes vary by regions. Ours is more traditional Carolina-style with Old Bay seasoning and shellfish. But you can shake it up with Cajun seasoning, crawfish, just about anything in between.”
For 8
3 lb red potatoes
4 lemons, quartered
3 large yellow onions, quartered
3 heads garlic, cut horizontally
½ cup Old Bay Seasoning
½ cup Kosher salt
8 links sweet Italian sausage
24 clams
2½ lb of easy-peel shrimp
1 lb mussels
7 ears of corn, shucked and halved
6 pre-cooked snow crab clusters
unsalted butter, melted
Directions
In a large propane-style cooking pot, add potatoes, lemon, onion, garlic, Old Bay and salt to pot, fill with cold water to cover plus 2–4 inches above. Turn heat to high, cover with lid and bring to a rolling boil—approx. 45 minutes. Once water is boiling (look for steam under lid), cook for 25–30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add uncooked sausage to pot, cover and continue to cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Next, add clams, shrimp, mussels and corn to pot, finishing with snow crab to sit on top (not fully submerged)—cover and cook for final 5 minutes. Uncover and carefully scoop out all items, dumping out onto spread butcher paper or newspaper. Serve with melted butter and extra napkins.
No propane pot? Fear not—rent one from Seafood Station or use a turkey deep-fryer instead. They’ve also got a YouTube channel where you can watch Chef Jeff in low-country boil action.
SeafoodStation.net | 10488 Loveland Madeira Rd, Loveland | 513.683.5993