by TANNER JOHNSON @919BACKYARDBBQ
August is the perfect time to gather friends and family for a classic backyard feast, and what better dish to serve than a Low Country Boil! This easy-to-make meal not only feeds a large group, but also offers a great medley of various seafood options. The best part is that you can customize it to suit your taste preferences.
To create this mouthwatering feast, you’ll need some essential ingredients such as corn on the cob (4-6 cobs), sausage (1 pack of 4), shrimp (1.5-2 lbs), and a bag of red potatoes. However, I highly recommend adding some lobster tails (generally 4) and crab legs (2 lbs) into the mix. Apart from these, you’ll need a large pot or a turkey fryer (if you prefer to cook outdoors), a couple of lemons, an orange and a white onion. The quantity of ingredients depends on the number of people you’re serving, but the following proportions generally serve around four people.
Let’s get started with the cooking process. Fill your large pot or turkey fryer halfway with water, and bring it to a rolling boil. For an authentic and flavorful twist, add a generous amount of seasoning to the water. Old Bay seasoning is a popular choice, readily available in most stores. However, you can also explore seafood boil-specific seasonings at farmers markets or specialty stores. While your water is boiling, slice the cobs of corn in half, slice the red potatoes in half, slice your sausages into bite size slices and devein the shrimp (if not already deveined.)
Once the seasoned water is boiling, add the halved lemons and orange. Next, add the halved red potatoes to the pot. From this point, it’s time to start the countdown. Set a 20-minute timer, marking each step accordingly. At the 5-minute mark (15 minutes remaining), add diced andouille sausage (or any sausage of your choice) and onions. After 5 more minutes (10 minutes remaining), toss in the corn and crab legs. Finally, after 7 minutes (3 minutes remaining), add the shrimp and lobster tails. I also like to add more old bay seasoning throughout the cook as I’m adding each ingredient to get everything very well seasoned and full of flavor.
Once everything is done and your timer is up, turn off the burner and allow the boil to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the table. I suggest using a tablecloth or newspaper as a cover and arranging an assortment of hot sauces(Cackalacky Pepper sauce & old bay hot sauce are my favorites), melted butter, and crackers or cornbread alongside the boil.
Next, you’ll pour the contents of the pot onto the table or your chosen serving area and season all over with more old bay (or seafood seasoning of choice), squeeze some fresh lemon juice all on top and now it’s finally time to dig in! Enjoy!
