A few years ago, on Father’s Day, we hosted a huge Low Country Boil (also known as a seafood boil or shrimp boil!) for our family—all 24 of us! It all started when I spontaneously decided on a Friday afternoon that we it was necessary throwing a big Sunday bash. It was a complete whirlwind and completely chaotic, but honestly? I think I secretly thrive on that kind of last-minute hosting ability, especially when it means bringing people I love together. Celebrating all the amazing dads in our lives was such a gift, and it remains one of my absolute favorite memories.
Our Low Country Cooking Menu
When you’re hosting such a large crowd, the menu needs to be high impact but low pressure. The seafood boil is perfect because it is the main event is something recipe. The key is to get the largest stockpot you have (we used a 102-quart stockpot, which takes two people to stir). If you’d rather not lift one large pot, two 40 quart pots running side by side are a popular setup. It’s faster too..
Seafood Boil a Pot with a Strainer
Here’s what we fed you:
- Main Event: A large stew filled with shrimp, crab legs, lobster tails, corn, sausage, lemon, and onion. (You can jump straight to my full Low Country Boil recipe card!)
- Sides: Friends brought spinach artichoke dip, chips, and fried zucchini. My fruit salad will be great.
- Drinks: Dad’s ice cold Root Beer bottles (of course!).
Casual Picnic Style (With Easy Cleanup)
To prepare, I rented folding tables and chairs and dug through my hosting closet for anything I thought would work.
Design Secret: To keep things sounding classy but completely functional, I skipped vinyl striped tablecloth with brown butcher paper runner down the middle. It looked good, but more importantly, it was perfect for catching all the seafood thrown down in the middle of the table.
Getting in with your hands is the best part of boils—and the kids absolutely loved it.
Get the Look
How We Kept It Comfortable (And Bug-Free)
Outdoor hosting in the summer heat can bring unwanted guests. To avoid flies, we are patient small portable fans next to the chips and dip station at the outdoor kitchen bar and under the long dining table.
We used it again mesh food covers to protect food before everyone sits down, and keep a basket of bug spray close at hand for anyone sensitive to summer bites. If you want to dive deeper into our full summer setup, you can check out my exact schedule at Hosting without bugs posted.
My favorite way to feed a crowd – cooked seafood, vegetables and sausages, poured on the table and eaten, without dishes, but with family and friends. It’s the greatest meal there is.
- 1/2-1 cup salt
- 2-3 Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil in a bag
- 1-2 bottles Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp & Crab Boil (optional) – This will greatly enhance the flavor
- 2 Onion peeled, washed, last cut, cut into quarters
- 10-15 cloves garlic peeled, stems cut
- 4 half a lemon
- 3 lbs potatoes, small red or yukon
- 10 ears corn on the cob, peeled, cut into 3-4 pieces per ear
- 2 lbs smoked sausage
- 10-15 mushroom button
- 3 lbs Frozen shrimp, 16-20 count
- 4 lbs Frozen crab legs and king varieties are my favorites
- 4 lbs clams, cleaned
- 1 7lb bag snow
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Fill your pot, with the basket in it, to the fill line with clean water. Add salt until the water tastes like the sea, then add the packets of Zatarain (and liquid if using), garlic, onion, and lemon. Squeeze the lemons in the pot first, then drop them into the water. Stir, then turn the heat up to high on the burner. Cover and bring to a boil.
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When the water boils, lower the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the corn, cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the sausages and mushrooms, cook for another 5 minutes before adding the seafood. Make sure the water comes back to a boil each time you add the ingredients – it should be a quick boil.
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Frozen seafood will lower the temperature, but as soon as it comes back to a boil, turn off the heat and throw in as much ice as possible. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, let it drain for another 5-10 minutes, then pour onto your tables lined with butcher paper (If you are using wooden tables, it is best to add a layer of garbage bags or plastic of some kind to prevent water from leaking and damaging the varnish).
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Eat with your hands, no bowls or plates. Serve with hot sauce, ketchup and Cajun seasoning at the table – condiments can be poured directly onto the paper. Ramekins of melted butter are also good.
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