Low Country Boil

Low Country Boil

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!

As a member of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received these samples of Crisco® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pure Olive Oil, and Light Olive Oil.

For this dish, I used both the Pure Olive Oil and the Extra Virgin.  The Pure Olive Oil has a mild and smooth flavor.  It’s great for roasting, grilling, sautés or marinades. The EVOO is great for salads, drizzling, or in sauces.  The “bold and fruity” flavors set this olive oil apart from the competition.  I actually buy these products all the time.  So I was thrilled, THRILLED, to get the samples in the mail.

You probably don’t think of Low Country Boil and Olive Oil in the same sentence.  Here’s the deal:  I don’t use pre-cooked Kielbasa in my Low Country Boil; I use fresh smoked sausage.  I also make my dipping sauce with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cut down on the amount of butter that I use – and the fat and the calories.

What I do first is preheat my oven to 400°.  I slice up the sausage and I drizzle it with Crisco® Pure Olive oil.  I roast the sausage for 20 minutes until its crispy brown on the outside.  This helps to hold in all the juices when I boil it. 

This dish reminds me of the weekend my hubby, Dan, and I spent in Savannah last year.  Savannah is one of my favorite cities in the US – full of history and culture, beauty and wonderful southern hospitality – and don’t get me started on the great food!

Here’s what you need to make your Low Country Boil:

1 very big Pot

2 – 3 light Beers*
4 - 6 cups Water*
2 - 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning*
½ - ¾ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper*
2 crushed/dried Bay leafs
½ Lemon
3 Green Onions, washed
6 – 10 Petite Red Potatoes (depending on how many people you are feeding)
1 ½ - 2 ½ lbs Rock Crab (ditto on the above sidebar)
½ - 1 pound Fresh Smoked Sausage, roasted in Crisco® Pure Olive Oil (ditto again)
3-5 ears Fresh Corn-on-the-cob, halved
One Dozen Large Shell on Shrimp, deveined
Fresh Parsley for garnish, optional

*Increase liquid and seasoning as you increase the amount of fish/sausage/corn in the pot.

For the Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup Crisco 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Butter
½ tablespoon Garlic Powder
2 – 3 shakes Hot Sauce
Juice of ½ Lemon
½ tablespoon freshly chopped Parsley

Add new potatoes, beer, water, seasonings, bay leaf, lemon and onions to a very large pot.  Bring to boil.

Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, covered.

Add Crab and cook for 5 minutes, covered.

Add sausage and corn and cook for 5 more minutes, covered.

Add shrimp.  Turn off heat, cover and let rest for 7 more minutes. 

Plate and top with fresh parsley.

While the boil is cooking, add all ingredients (except for parsley) for dipping sauce into a microwave safe bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for one minute.  Toss in fresh parsley at the end.

Serve immediately with a few cold beers or southern-style sweet tea.

Note:  May God be with the people of the Low Country tonight as Hurricane Irene barrels down on the coast.