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Nothing is more perfect for a Lowcountry meal than Frogmore Stew, a mouthwatering, one-pot meal of shrimp, corn on the cob, new potatoes and smoked sausage.
Those four ingredients are the basics, but sometimes live blue crab or stone crab claws are added, as well as onion. Seasonings usually include seafood seasoning of your choice, beer and hot sauce.
Don't worry about failure. You just want to take care not to cook the ingredients to mush, which is why the potatoes, corn and sausage go into the pot before the shrimp. As with all dishes, the freshest ingredients will result in the best taste.
Frogmore Stew is especially delicious served outdoors, making it the perfect dish for a casual get-together. Since it's a bit messy, lots of folks like to spread newspaper on a table outside so cleanup is quick and simple.
So where did the funny name come from? (No, no frogs are in the stew.) The dish originated in a small Lowcountry fishing community on St. Helena Island named Frogmore, near Beaufort and Hilton Head. It's also sometimes called Lowcountry boil or Beaufort stew.
Frogmore Stew is a perfect choice for a relaxed meal for a large crowd. The recipe below serves about six, but it's easy to adjust. Just allow about 1/2 pound of shrimp and about 1/4 pound of sausage per person, and several potatoes and pieces of corn.
Several bottles of beer and some water
1/2 cup of preferred seafood seasoning
Tabasco sauce to taste
15 new potatoes, unpeeled
4 ears of fresh corn, shucked, silk removed and broken into 2- or 3-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) package smoked or Kielbasa sausage, cut into one-inch pieces, browned and then drained on paper towels
3 pounds of large fresh shrimp, in shells
In a large pot, mix beer and water and season with your choice of seafood seasoning and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the corn and sausage. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until they are pink, probably less than 5 minutes. Drain. Serve with lemon slices and cocktail sauce.
