Wednesday

Having A Fun Filled Event With The Low Country Boils

By Beryl Dalton


To the Southerners, there are cultures that keep gaining prominence as the time passes by. One of these is the party culture. In the winters, the dinner table is dominated by seafood like the Oyster Roast. With the decrease in seafood supply in warmer seasons, the social events turn to the low country boils. The boils have gained prominence to the extent that tourists gather from far and wide just to gather around the table, mingle and enjoy this delicacy.

The meal is very easy to make in very large quantities. It remains the top dish for any party. It is said that the dish was as a result of innovation by a National Guardsman who was concerned about how to feed 100 soldiers. In one pot, he combined corn, potatoes, shrimp, sausage, and spice that were the handiest ingredients. With minor adjustments to the ingredients and their quantities, it is possible to feed two to two hundred people.

The main parts of this boil are the potatoes, sausages, the shrimp and the corn. The seasoning varies from one cooking pot to the other, depending on the chef of the day. With a larger crowd, adjustments are made and a few additions and omissions here and there is all that is required to make the feast a memorable one.

The low country boil is not just a meal, it is the fun full feasting that keeps a large crowd gathered and get entertained. It is entertaining to eat corn on its cobs, peel shrimp from its shell and crack the crab legs. It is a social occasion that no one can imagine of missing.

The factors such as the size of the crowd and the targeted taste determine the adjustments to be made. The limited stove space or the size of the pot may lead to alternations like boiling different parts separately. In order to get a 16 pound boil that is enough to feed a minimum of 30 people and a maximum of 40, the components can be distributed as follows.

The ingredients can be distributed as follows, 5 pounds of shrimp with shells, 3 pounds of sausage, 5 pounds of whole potatoes, and 3 pounds of corn on the cobs. The con is divided into thirds, quarters, or halves. The potatoes are cut into quarters and the sausages into 2-3 inches long pieces.

When cooking, the cooking pot is half stacked with water. It is left to boil before adding potatoes. This is then let to boil for fifteen minutes and then sausages are added. This further boil for five more minutes before the cons are dropped in. This again is let to boil for three more minutes before the shrimp is finally added and left to boil for the final two minutes. At this point, the shrimps should start to float or change to pink, an indication that the meal is ready to serve.

Although each of the ingredients can be boiled separately, it becomes harder to prepare and the shared flavor is lost. Adding crab legs to the mix make it even better. However, it is just an example of several additions and omissions that can be made to make the boil more appealing to the target crowd. Snacks like boiled peanuts and side dishes like green cabbage slaw or just a simple apple is enough.




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