A hands-on feast

Meal from low country gets high marks

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Friday, September 05, 2008

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With fresh corn, potatoes and Vidalia onions crowding the produce bins of farmers markets, roadside stands and grocery stores, it only made sense to Darcie Decker to use these ingredients as part of a unique feast that offers huge taste and little cleanup.

Recently, Decker and about a half-dozen friends gathered to husk corn, wash and chop potatoes and prepare other ingredients for the Low-Country Seafood Feast.

Also known as a Low-Country Boil or Frogmore Stew, the dish is popular in the low country, from Beaufort, S.C., to Savannah, Ga. The one-pot meal is served as a casual dinner by the water or at fancier gatherings.

“This is all eaten without plates or utensils. It’s something I wanted to try,” Decker said.

The cooking crew prepped the ingredients, then sealed them in gallon-size freezer bags stored in camping coolers. Decker had rounded up three propane turkey fryers to boil the huge stockpots of water.

“I bought large shrimp that were shelled and deveined, but with the tails still attached,” she said of the final ingredient added to the dish.

Once the guests arrived, the outdoor cooking began. Several of the guests talked about taking part in similar feast in their native North Carolina, but this was a first for most of them, including Decker.

As cooks tossed potatoes and corn into the kettles, the rest of the guests taped newspapers and tablecloths to the tables. Rolls of paper towels were set out. A block of butter as big as a loaf pan was brought out to tables, as well as a basket of split bread rolls.

In the meantime, Old Bay seasoning, kielbasa sausage, onions and shrimp were added to the boiling mix. As timers rang, people quickly sat at the tables while the men hefted baskets of the boiled feast from the water and spilled the delectable contents onto the papered tables.

Jeff Miller, one of the cooks, said it turned out all right.

“I never doubted anything,” he said. “Darcie had the recipe and you simply followed the directions.”

“It’s kind of an open smorgasbord,” Mark Walters said.

Lisa Sissenstein had her doubts at first when she heard about the Low-Country Feast.

“I wasn’t coming. I didn’t see how all those hands on the table scooping up food would work. It seemed too wild for me,” she said.

But the fellowship and especially the food proved to be a deciding factor for her.

“I’m glad I came,” she said as she buttered her corn.

Decker had to push herself to reach for the food piled in the center of the table that she wanted to eat.

“When you reach in, it feels like I’m taking food off their plate,” she said with a laugh.

“For most Yankees, this a little bit primitive. But it sure saves on the cleanup,” Walters added. “It’s very good, though.”

Craig Nelson agreed.

“The food is awesome,” he said.

Mike Ewart of Rapid City was one of the first people to sample the food, which was only fair.

“We were the first to get the newspapers out,” he said.

Laurel Moen of Black Hawk wouldn’t call this playing with your food, but with no plates or utensils …

“It’s kind of fun,” Moen said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.

No plates necessary

The Low-Country Seafood Feast is a terrific cool-weather dish eaten alfresco. Prepare for the feast by taping thick layers of newspaper (the traditional covering) to the table; newspaper absorbs the excess water and the ink is soy-based.

At each place setting, put several tablespoons of butter and a bread roll. Salt and paper shakers, paper towels and shrimp cocktail sauce add to the eating experience, but are optional.

Low-Country Seafood Feast

     1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

     5 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

     3 pounds kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-inch lengths

     10 ears corn, cut in half

     1 Vidalia onion, peeled and cut into wedges

     4 pounds large shrimp, washed, shelled and deveined, but with tails

     Butter, optional

     Bread rolls, optional

     Salt and pepper to taste

     In a 3-gallon kettle on a propane turkey fryer over high heat, bring water to a rolling boil. Place basket into water and add the Old Bay seasoning, potatoes and sausage. Set timer for 10 minutes and let cook. Add corn pieces and onion and let boil for 5 minutes. Place shrimp into the boiling mix and cook for three minutes. Shrimp will turn from white to a light pink when cooked through. Lift basket of food from water bath, let drain completely, then pour out contents onto newspaper-covered table. Season to taste.