Frogmore Stew

For those of you that are fans of the 90's sketch show The State, no, this does not have anything to do with Froggy Jamboree in a kiddie pool (and for those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, never mind). In any event, this is one of my favorite simple meals. It's easy (one pot!), it's relaxed, and there's not a whole lot of technical work to prep it. It is definitely the kind of supper made for flannel shirts, old jeans and flip flops, and usually a good amount of story telling and beer, two of my favorite activities during meal time. Throw on some good classic soul music, and you've got a perfect night!

This is very similar to a low country boil which is popular in South Carolina and Georgia, with some slight alterations. It's a great dish to serve for a casual dinner party- I line the table w/ newspaper, put out a big roll of paper towels, a bunch of seafood picks, shell bowls and lots of cold good beer. Especially awesome if it's a warm enough night to eat outside!

Frogmore Stew

-2lbs. any combination of shrimp, clams*, mussels*, haddock, crab claws, or any firm fish that is fresh
-1lb. spicy cased sausage such as andouille, chorizo or linguisa cut into 2" pieces
-1/2 to 3/4lbs. small red potatoes halved
-2-3 sweet onions, quartered
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-3-4 ears of corn, broken in half
-6-8oz. of decent beer (Newcastle, or Shipyard Export if you can get your hands on it!)
-Old Bay (lots, maybe 1/2 a cup or so? Adjust to your taste)
-Couple of shakes of hot sauce, to your taste
-Crusty loaf of french bread, toasted

Clean seafood accordingly (mussels/clams scrubbed and de-bearded and any with broken shells discarded, fish cut into 2" chunks, shrimp de-veined, etc.). In a large, wide pot lightly sautee garlic & sausage in a little olive oil (1 tbspn or so) until fat starts to render out of sausage and garlic is lightly colored. Add a large amount of water (enough to cover all ingredients once added, but not drown!), beer, hot sauce and Old Bay and bring to a boil. Toss in potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add onion, cook another 10. Throw in corn and cook for 5 more minutes. Give the pot a stir and add in seafood, and keep a weather eye on it. If cooking a mixture of seafood, start with shellfish, add in whitefish and finish off with shrimp, with a few minutes in between each add in. When cooked clams & mussels will open naturally (discard any that do not open), fish will be opaque and shrimp will be curled and pink (about 6-12 minutes depending on what fish you use). Be careful not to overcook, otherwise seafood will turn rubbery. Serve family style out of the pot in the middle of the table with lots of bread for dipping.

-I also usually serve mine with a mustard-mayo dipping sauce with minced garlic & fresh parsley and lemon wedges, other great options are drawn butter or cocktail sauce.

*A note on selecting shellfish: When choosing fresh shellfish, have a chat w/ your fish monger to see what is fresh. Whenever possible, select those that are loose, not pre-bagged, as they are usually more fresh. To make sure that they are still alive and edible, tap the outside of the shell. If shellfish reacts & closes its shell, you're good to go.