One of my favorite recipes for entertaining during the warm weather months is a low country shrimp boil. Growing up in the South, I have lots of memories of these from my childhood. Its a great, versatile meal for this time of year that can be made for a family meal, a few friends, or even to feed a crowd. When I worked as a camp counselor as a teenager, this was always the dinner for the first night of training. Newspapers were spread out along long picnic tables and the pots were dumped right on the table for everyone to dig in.
We have served a Lowcountry shrimp boil two years in a row for our supper club and it is always a hit. I like to dress that dinner up a bit and serve it on melamine plates on our porch. Its also my favorite meal to cook at the beach and can come together quickly while everyone is showering and getting cleaned up. It truly is such a versatile dish that is always a crowd pleaser.
This post is sponsored by Wayfair – one of my favorite retailers for all things entertaining. As always, my thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you for showing love for the brands who love this little blog of mine so well.
What makes this meal so easy is that everything cooks in one big stock pot like this one. Just cut everything up ahead of time and then add it in bit by bit, setting the timer on your stove or phone each time you add a new ingredient. Everything is seasoned with Old Bay. You can even get creative and add crab legs, lobster, or crawfish.
I like to serve our Lowcountry shrimp boil with cocktail sauce and lemon slices on the table and a side of corn muffin or homemade cheddar bay biscuits. There are vegetables in the pot so it comes out a complete meal but a side of homemade cole slaw is a great complement, too.
Depending on the occasion, you can just line your table with butcher paper (unless it has a wood top) and empty your colander right on the table. This makes for easy clean up because you can just roll the paper up and toss it straight into the garbage at the end of the meal. This is hands down the way to serve a shrimp boil for a large crowd.
However, when we are serving a smaller group of friends or hosting Supper Club, I love to put down a checkered table cloth onto our outdoor table. It gives the space such a casual, summertime feel. I used this one from Wayfair for our most recent Lowcountry shrimp boil and I am loving it. Not only did it look cute for the occasion but it washed very well afterwards. Shrimp boils do tend to be messy!
Since we have been eating outside lately, I added a new set of melamine plates to our kitchen this year. I love the simple, clean look of these and how they are unbreakable. We have been using them to entertain as well as for family dinners outside since they are so kid-friendly. I foresee mix and matching fun salad plates and colorful cloth napkins with them in the future.
I served our shrimp boil on the matching melamine platter. It is lightweight and large enough to hold a large amount of food. This is key for serving a shrimp boil on a platter – everyone will want seconds so a large platter is necessary.
Now, let’s get to my go-to recipe for preparing a Lowcountry shrimp boil. This recipe serves 6-8 so adjust as needed. If you are cooking for a crowd or don’t have a large enough pot, use two smaller ones and add half of the ingredients to each as you go.
- 2 pounds of peeled, deveined shrimp (larger the better)
- 2 – 16 oz cooked kielbasa sausages, cut into one-inch pieces.
- 3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into quarters
- 4 ears of corn on the cob, husks and silks removed, cut into thirds.
- 1 yellow onion, cut into strips
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
- 2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
- Cocktail sauce and fresh lemon for serving
Fill a large stockpot with water and Old Bay seasoning and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and garlic, letting the water return to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the onions and sausage and cook for fifteen minutes. Then, add the corn and boil for 10 minutes. Check potatoes for doneness and then add shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain in a colander then serve right away on a platter or on butcher paper, sprinkling with Old Bay. Serve with cocktail sauce and fresh lemon slices.
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Now, any time that I am hosting in our home, I love to offer a signature cocktail for the evening. I have a great one to share today that we have been enjoying since I decided to take up mixology during quarantine! This grapefruit, rosemary cocktail is perfect for a summer evening.
To make it, mix 2 oz vodka, 2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, 3 oz lime sparkling water, and 1 TBSP rosemary simple syrup. I make the simple syrup by bringing 1 cup of water to a boil and mixing in 1 cup of sugar and 1 sprig of rosemary. I let boil about five minutes, stirring occasionally, and then let cool. Once its cool, I remove the rosemary and store in a mason jar for up to a week. Garnish your cocktail with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of grapefruit. Its sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Do you have a favorite recipe for hosting friends or family in the summer months? I would love for you to share it in the comments below.
An image to pin for later.
