Low Country Boil Meets The Midwest

The beginning of summer is probably one of the most challenging times for me when it comes to meal preparation. My days are overwhelmed adjusting to the change of routine that inevitably comes with the fun times associated with the summer months.

Menu planning becomes its own concoction of my stream of consciousness, intrusive thoughts and pantry items. Freud would have had a field day trying to figure out how my brain works.

I keep thinking about lovely magazine photo spreads of gatherings in the backyard. You know the ones with people sitting at picnic tables draped in newspapers. The pictures all look inviting as heads are thrown back in laughter while hands clutch a cob of corn or a crab leg.

These images in my mind have consumed me this last month because I just don’t think these depictions are real.

Let me explain before you cancel me for life. I love every aspect of this imagery except it takes work. There is one scene they don’t show in this idealistic summer romp, the hostess cleaning up the mess. My brain seems to picture butter pools on the patio, mysterious pieces of seafood shells hanging out of the dog’s mouth and a corn cob sitting in a planter. (That only has to happen once to scar you for life.)

I wanted the low country boil (sausage, potatoes, corn, butter) without the mess, expense or dare I say, people. The version I came up with gave me all the “feels” but the ingredients were commonly used pantry items.

The only caveat was that seafood was omitted solely for the reason that it was not in my house. As much as I love a big ol’ shrimp or cracking a piece of crab, it wasn’t missed. I’m in the Midwest and not near a city. There are times that good shellfish can be very expensive or hard to find. It is fun to explore recipes that are more about the flavor components than the ingredients.

The best part is that this dish cooks in one pan without a lot of fuss. I did all the prep work and just popped it in the oven after a hard day during the week. It was so delicious that I made an additional pan to give to a friend as a thank you for some work he did for us. (He loved it too!)

I’ll be the first to admit this is not an authentic low country boil. The abundance of rich butter and the seasoning made up for any of the inauthenticity. The intention was to make a great meal to be enjoyed by friends.

The Region Roast (Midwest Version of a Low Country Boil)

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Serves: 4

Active time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 60 minutes

Total time: 75 minutes

2 pounds new potatoes, quartered

3 ears of fresh corn (2-3 cups of frozen corn also work)

1 yellow onion

1 pound smoked sausage*

1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 stick of butter, melted (Do not substitute margarine.)

Olive oil

Optional: Hot sauce

*Note on the smoked sausage. Use a flavor you enjoy. I keep using a chicken sausage with pineapple which tastes amazing with all the spices. Andouille is a great classic option too. Even a plain smoked sausage would be wonderful in this recipe.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large pan, add quartered potatoes and toss with a light drizzle of olive oil. Cook for about 20 minutes. You want them to just start to roast not necessarily cook all the way.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, mix the seasoning with the melted butter. Set aside.

While many low country boils keep the corn on the cob, I opted to remove the corn off the cob just for the sake of eating everything with a fork.

4. Cut the onion into half or quarter moon slices.

5. Cut the sausage on the bias into 1/2 -1 inch chunks. (I wrote that for anyone who takes our virtual classes and loves the discussions on cutting on the bias.)

6. Add the corn, onions, sausage and melted butter mixture to the partially roasted potatoes. Toss well making sure the seasoning is coating every item.

7. Cover with foil.

8. Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes. Taste a potato. You want the potato cooked so that it is tender but not complete mush. (I made this once and overcooked the potatoes and it was still outstanding.)

9. If you like a little extra char taste, feel free to broil for 5 minutes before serving.

10. Toss one more time after it comes out of the oven. I serve mine with a slotted spoon to avoid butter puddles. If you are serving with a roll or good Southern biscuit, go for the puddle!

11. Serve with hot sauce for those who like the burn.

For anyone who camps, I think this would make a great foil packet meal. A quick tutorial on cooking en papillote can be found here. We also have a complete guide to cooking on a campfire for you campers!

And if you are ready to start adjusting food trends to fit your lifestyle, I highly recommend signing up for Culinary Boot Camp. After just five days, you will leave with the confidence and knowledge of fundamental techniques that will change your at home cooking style for life.