I made this exact dish 01/01/06....but with King Crab Legs! It is a good dish, but a fun dish. and I think that those who did not like it, did not (1) know how to serve it, (2) it is NOT a stew! The name is misleading because there is no gravy to speak of, it is just boiled food in one pot, but very tasty. It is just an "ole Fashion" crab .... shrimp, boil! with your entire meal in one pot! I think this recipe had a few mistakes in it. You should start with the corn on the cob (regardless if it is fresh or frozen) First, because it takes longer to cook, actually I boiled my corn in a separate pot, and in my main pot I had the bay seasoning boiling. Then I'd commence to add the potatoes, and then the sausage, and in the last 4 minutes I threw in the seafood, and my already cooked corn.
I actually live about 5 minutes from Frogmore, SC and I have to tell you that we all love this stew!! Easy to prepare and feeds many people. Our kids get excited when we serve the stew because they love peeling the shrimp. We also add onions to the stew with the potatoes to give it more flavor....
This recipe is awesome! I first encountered this at a restaurant in northern Colorado several years ago and have been searching for the recipe ever since. I have made this stew for parties several times and everyone loves it. The modifications that I made to the recipe are as follows: 1 can of beer, 1 lemon quartered, lots of red pepper flakes and crab legs. I always serve this on newspaper and no utensils or plates are allowed, fingers only. A roll of paper towels is set on the table to use as napkins and it is served with several condiments, cocktail sauce, barbeque sauce and melted butter. It’s a lot of fun!
One of the best meals I've made. I usually have modifications or suggestions to make but really I wouldn't deviate from the recipe. I did cut it in half as I was only serving 4 of us. I LOVED the presentation and will do this over and over again. Served it with sour cream cocktaill sauce and lots of paper towels. I sprinkled Old Bay over it and squeezed a lemon over it after I dumped it on the table then left the Old Bay out for the guys as they like spicier foods. Beer is an essential side kick for this recipe. Don't hesitate to try this one! An Update: Made this during a trip to Australia for our New Year's Eve dinner (very hot weather). Couldn't find Andouille sausage down under so we used reg. spicy sausage but thick cut it on the diagonal and sauted it ahead in olive oil. Worked great! One thought would be to add some liquid smoke to the saute next time to get that smokey flavor. Yum!
Nice! I cut this recipe as follows to serve four: 3 quarts of water; just under ¼ cup Old Bay; 1+ lb potatoes; 1 lb andouille-style chicken sausage; 4 ears of fresh corn; 1 lb jumbo shrimp. I cooked the corn in advance, in another pot. At the end, I turned off the heat, added the (already cooked/frozen) shrimp and just let it heat through for the last 5 minutes. I had no idea what to expect with so few ingredients – the results were amazing. I had my parents over for dinner & we all LOVED IT. In a nod to tradition, I used newspaper as a tablecloth (but we ate out of bowls and I ate with my fingers). A fun evening!
Shirley, Thanks for letting the rest of the world in on our little secret! I'm a native South Carolinian and have been makung this for special friends and special occasions for 30 years. I prefer to add two large onions and two bottles of beer at the beginning and have been known to throw in a few blue crabs. This is best served outdoors, along with plenty of napkins and adult beverages!
I'm definitely the minority on this one... But I didn't think there was much to this stew. Once drained it pretty much tasted like I just threw together the potatoes sausage corn and shrimp. I didn't find the old bay seasoning to add much to the flavor and therefore didn't find this impressive. Sorry!
In upstate NY we had clam steams, same concept,corn, potatoes,sausage,chicken,clams steamed in baskets..Lived in southern PA and got introduced to Old Bay from MD over the border and same concept again... doesn't matter what you throw in the pot. add the Old Bay, throw in a beer or two, drain throw out in bowls, newspapers and it never fails. the ones that rated at 1 star are very picky eaters or have no imagination. I am now in NC and have condo on beach and when I go there, first stop, fish shop.. and the pot is boiling. Use your imagination, what you like, throw in the pot. It will come out good.
Everyone here in Charleston talks about Frogmore Stew and how wonderful it is. I tried it and my family loved it! I've tried this several times and have come up with a little revision. I also add 1 can of Lite Beer to the pot and a couple of Bay Leaves. I even add Crab Legs to the pot for an extra filling meal! The kids go crazy! Just throw down some newspaper and dump the pot on the center of the table (drain first of course). What a presentation!!
