my little low country boil

A low country boil, to me, is a party thing. Boil up a bunch of stuff, then dump it out onto newspapers on a picnic table and go to town! Everybody drinks beer and gets messy and it's so much fun.

Sometimes, though, I want a the boil but can only dig up one other person. So I make a little low country boil, cover my dining table with Kraft paper, and have a smaller, somewhat tidier party. It's still pretty dang fun, and pretty dang delicious.

I like to serve a beautiful tomato or 2 on the side and a crusty baguette with lots of butter. Also cocktail sauce and hot sauce for the shrimpies! (And don't forget to put an empty bowl out for shells and cobs.)

2 tablespoons shrimp boil seasoning*

1 pound small potatoes, washed

1 kielbasa, cut into 2-inch lengths

2 ears corn, husked and cut in half

1 pound medium shrimp

Bread, for serving

In a large pot, heat 1 gallon of water and the shrimp boil seasoning to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes. Add the sausage and boil 5 minutes more. Add the corn and boil 10 minutes, then add the shrimp and boil 3 minutes or until they are opaque.

*You can buy shrimp boil, or you can make your own! In a spice grinder (I use a coffee grinder), combine the following and grind until it's a powder.

6 black peppercorns

8 cloves

8 allspice berries

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon cayenne