History

Frogmore stew (called Lowcountry boil elsewhere) takes its name from Frogmore, a small community on St. Helena Island near Beaufort. The recipe is credited to Richard Gay, a National Guardsman who fed his unit on the cheap in the 1960s by boiling whatever they had. The format scaled to family gatherings and church suppers. Today it lands on newspaper-covered tables across the Lowcountry, often at oyster roasts in winter and crab boils in summer. The Old Bay, while not historically Southern, is now non-negotiable; some kitchens add crab or sliced kielbasa.

Common allergens: Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 25 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg small new potatoes
  • 500g smoked andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 5cm lengths
  • 6 ears fresh corn, halved
  • 1kg head-on Carolina shrimp
  • 4 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • Hot sauce, butter, cocktail sauce to serve

Method

  1. Bring 4 litres of water to a hard boil in a large stockpot. Add Old Bay, lemon halves and garlic.
  2. Add the potatoes; cook 12 minutes.
  3. Add the sausage; cook a further 5 minutes.
  4. Add the corn; cook 3 minutes.
  5. Add the shrimp; cook 2 to 3 minutes until pink and just firm.
  6. Drain quickly. Pour straight onto a newspaper-covered table or a deep platter.
  7. Serve with melted butter, hot sauce, cocktail sauce and cold beer.

Tip from the editors. Time the additions in reverse order of cook time. Shrimp take 3 minutes; overcooked shrimp ruin the whole pot. Cold beer is part of the recipe.

Where to eat frogmore stew

Frogmore stew in Charleston

Bowens Island Restaurant ★ 4.6

Seafood, Oysters$$james-island

Bowens Island Restaurant near Folly Beach has shovel-fed steamed Lowcountry oysters since 1946. James Beard America's Classics winner in 2006.

Signature: Steamed oysters by the bushel, Frogmore stew

Order: A bushel of steamed oysters opened table-side and a bowl of Frogmore stew.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no reservations. Tide-line tables fill at sunset.

1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC 29412 Book →

Hyman's Seafood ★ 4.0

Seafood, Lowcountry$$$downtownMon-Wed 11:00-21:00, Thu-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00

Hyman's Seafood in Charleston serves the city from a Meeting Street row of historic buildings the Karesh-Hyman family has held since 1890; the seafood.

Signature: She-crab soup, Fried local seafood

Order: She-crab soup and a fried-fish plate with hushpuppies.

Tip: No reservations; arrive before 17:30 or expect a 45-minute wait. Hush puppies are free.

215 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401 Book →

Page's Okra Grill ★ 4.3

Southern, Lowcountry$$mount-pleasant

Page's Okra Grill in Mount Pleasant has run family-owned Southern cooking on Coleman Boulevard since 2008. Kitchen leans southern, lowcountry.

Signature: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits, Fried green tomatoes

Order: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits with andouille and tomato gravy.

Tip: No reservations. Walk-ins only; cash and card both accepted.

302 Coleman Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 Book →

Hannibal's Kitchen ★ 4.5

Soul food$eastside

Hannibal's Kitchen has fed the Eastside of Charleston soul food since 1985. At 16 Blake St. Reservations advised. A neighbourhood favourite.

Try: Crab rice, smothered pork chop, fried whiting, lima beans

Tip: Counter order, dining-room seat. Lunch beats dinner; the line peaks 12:30-13:30 weekdays.

16 Blake St, Charleston, SC 29403

More cities are in research. Want frogmore stew covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →