Frogmore Stew: An Iconic Lowcountry Dish

Frogmore stew is everything we love about the Lowcountry, in one pot.Photo byExplore Beaufort

Nothing is more perfect for a meal when you're in the Lowcountry than Frogmore Stew. It's a mouthwatering, one pot meal of shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes and smoked sausage.

Those four ingredients are the basics, but sometimes folks will add live blue crab or stone crab claws, and a bit of onion. Seasonings usually include the seafood seasoning of your choice, usually Old Bay, and beer, and a little bit of hot sauce.

Don’t worry about failing while preparing it. You just have to take care not to cook the ingredients to mush, which is why the potatoes, corn and sausage go into the pot before the shrimp. As with all dishes, the freshest ingredients will result in the best taste.

Frogmore Stew is especially delicious when served outdoors, making it the perfect dish for our Lowcountry get-togethers. Since it’s a bit messy, lots of folks like to spread newspaper on a table, or enjoy it on a tray outside, so cleanup is quick and simple.

Where did the name come from? No, there are no frogs in the stew.

The dish originated in a small community on St. Helena Island in Beaufort named Frogmore.

Although there are many versions of this dish around, also sometimes called Lowcountry boil, seafood boil, or Beaufort stew, the name Frogmore Stew came about in the 1960s by Richard Gay, one of the owners of the Gay Fish Company on St. Helena Island.

Frogmore Stew became far more well-known after is was featured on the cover of Gourmet Magazine in the 1980s, and is enjoyed by all, with this name, to this very day; and is even available in a few local restaurants around Beaufort.

Frogmore Stew is a perfect choice for a relaxed meal for a large crowd. Here in the Lowcountry it's served at parties, backyard gatherings, tailgating parties, commuity events and festivals, too.

We enjoy it, because it's everything we love about the Lowcountry in one pot.