A communal one-pot boil of fresh shrimp, corn on the cob, smoked sausage, and potatoes in a rolling boil of heavily seasoned water — Old Bay, cayenne, lemon, and bay leaf. When done, the pot is drained and the contents dumped directly onto a newspaper-covered table. Everyone eats standing up, reaching in, cracking open what they want. Named for Frogmore, a community on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. A Gullah Geechee tradition that has been adopted by coastal restaurants without always naming its source.
Frogmore stew is Gullah Geechee culture in a pot — the communal table, the shared food, the outdoor cooking, the newspaper spread, the hands reaching in together. St. Helena Island and the South Carolina Sea Islands are the cultural heartland of Gullah Geechee communities, whose ancestors were enslaved to grow rice and who retained more direct West African cultural continuity than almost any other Black American community. This dish is their feast food.
Shrimp is one of the highest iodine sources in any food — iodine deficiency is underdiagnosed in communities that avoid iodized salt. Complete protein from shrimp is highly bioavailable. Corn provides potassium and resistant starch. The boiling preparation is one of the lowest-fat cooking methods — the food absorbs the spiced broth rather than oil. Old Bay's celery seed and black pepper contribute anti-inflammatory compounds at meaningful concentrations.
Use the largest pot you have — this is a large-batch food. Fill with water, add Old Bay generously (at least 2 tablespoons per quart), lemon halves, bay leaves, and cayenne. Bring to a rolling boil. Add potatoes first and cook 10 minutes. Add corn, halved, and cook 5 more minutes. Add smoked sausage sliced into rounds, cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp last — they cook in 3 minutes. Drain everything, dump on newspaper, eat immediately.
Free, no account needed to ask.