Frogmore Stew and the Low Country

    In the ever confusing distinctions of the American South and its cooking, the Low Country style is one of best defined and most recognized. This style arrises out of the southern coast land of South Caroline and parts of Georgia, which includes the Sea Island. This cuisine has created such a distinction from the rest of the southern eatery primarily because of its geographic location. The close proximity to the salt marshes, bogs, and oceans of the east coast allows for a completely unique list of ingredients to thrive there. Dishes with shrimp, crab, and other seafood dominate the cuisine and flavor almost every dish that comes from this region. As it is clear that the Low Country is a definable style of cooking, the question is, “What is the quintessential Low Country dish” . To this I answer, Frogmore stew. Despite the name of the dish, it has absolutely nothing to do with frogs. In fact this dish’s name is a bit of a debated matter, with people referring to it as Low Country Boil, Frogmore stew, Beaufort Boil, and the names go on. However Frogmore still remains the one of the oldest and most popular names for the dish. As there is no clear origin story for the dish, legend has it that in the town of Frogmore, South Carolina a fisherman had run out of ingredients for dinner so he took everything that he had, which happened to be potatoes, corn, and shrimp, and boiled it all together in a pot. It happened to be so good that he spread the word of the delicious dish and the rest is history. My reasoning for choosing this dish is because of the cultural implications that this dish has. This dish is normally served at a family gathering or a tailgate or any other large gathering. Its a dish that you dump out onto a table and join together to consume. This dish is a social affair forcing you to rub elbows with your neighbor and makes it necessary for you to communicate to effectively eat the meal. Because of this it is deeply entangled in people’s memory and means a lot more to many Southerners than simple being a good boil.

Recipe (from link to recipe)
Mike Lata's Frogmore Stew
Ingredients
½ cup (at least) Old Bay Seasoning
16 small new potatoes, about 1-inch diameter, rinsed but not peeled (about ¾ lb.)
½ lb. smoked sausage (kielbasa), cut into 16 ½-inch-thick coins
2 medium sweet onions, peeled but not trimmed, quartered lengthwise from stem to root
3 ears fresh corn, shucked and  cut into thirds
16 largest available fresh shrimp, preferably white Carolina shrimp with head on (you may want more depending on size of shrimp)
 8 stone crab claws (about 2 lb.)
Bring a large stockpot (at least 12-quart) of water (filled 2/3 of the way, about 9 quarts) to a simmer. Add Old Bay and simmer to infuse. (The water should be abundantly seasoned and aromatic.)

Add potatoes, sausage coins, and sweet onions, and bring to a lazy simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Keeping water at a lazy simmer, add corn, and cook until kernels are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and crab claws, and cook until the shrimp becomes pink and white (instead of opaque), about 5 or 6 minutes. Strain solids from cooking liquid, and transfer them to an oversize platter.

Serve with soft butter and olive oil (for potatoes and corn), sea salt, Tabasco, and cocktail sauce. Lemon wedges and chopped hot peppers (like jalapeño) are also sometimes served as accompaniments.

Introduction

Southern Foodways 

Fall 2015

University of Alabama

Blount 301

Dr. David Meek
ddmeek@ua.edu

Course Description:

Southerners tend to be quite passionate about food. There is considerable debate surrounding the authenticity of particular dishes and their preparations, and some conflict over who can or should claim certain culinary traditions. Underlying these passions, debates, and traditions are important lessons about historic and contemporary race relations, gender roles, immigration patterns, and other phenomena. In this course, we’ll use southern foodways as a lens to explore deeper questions about ownership and access; inclusion and exclusion; and what it means to grow, cook and eat in the 21^st century South. In that sense, we will examine southern foodways from a critical perspective. We will begin by studying the region’s culinary history, considering the crucial importance of climate and both voluntary and involuntary migration for shaping southern food. We will consider the trenchant but evolving relationship between food and regional identity, and the ways in which food can be understood as indicative of a changing South. We will also be cooking throughout the course, and will use our culinary endeavors to explore southern foodways, and what it means to be southern, from a first-hand perspective.