Low Country Boil from the West Coast Gullah

West Coast Gullah's Low Country Boil full of fresh prawns, oysters, clams, black bass,

sweet potates, carrots, okra, and cabbage.

In early November, I went to St. Helena Island, and the city of Beaufort in South Carolina, to connect with my roots on my Dad's side. Yep! We Geechee, or Gullah, whichever you prefer. I journeyed to the 29th Annual Gullah Heritage Festival, held at the Penn Center, which is the site of one of the country's first schools for freed Africn slaves. The link is below to learn more about this fascinating place.

Seafood, which was always a big part of our diet in my Los Angeles home, is a staple of the African people that cultivated rice and indigo in the Sea Islands off the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia. So the dish I had at the Gullah Heritage Festival was basically shrimp, potatoes, spicy sausage, and corn. I also discovered that oysters are also a huge part of the Gullah diet. Our family had fried fish almost every Friday for dinner. Fried oysters were always accompanied by sand dabs, catfish, and Louisiana Buffalo, but we'd always save a few of the oysters to eat raw.

As I grew older and developed into a full fledged lover of raw oysters and clams, I attributed this craving to my Dad, who'd grown up in Newark, New Jersey. I just thought it was the influence of the Italian culture that'd planted this love of raw oysters and clams in him, which he'd passed on to me. Well this recent visit revealed that his love of oysters came from his own heritage, for harvesting and eating oysters is definitely a part of Gullah culture.

Now because the other side of me, my Mother's people, are also exquisite cooks, who get alot of their seasonings and spices from our Native American heritage, as I'm whirling about in the kitchen I also have to surrender to their urgings. My grandmother's mother was 1/2 Indian, and her husband, my grandfather's father was a full blood Comanche.

So I add sage, bay leaf and thyme to my Low Country Boil. Can't forget the gumbo file, which is sassafras, an herb my sister used to love as a tea when she was a child. I bring my own love of veggies to it, by adding carrots, almost a full head of cabbage, and to deepen the African soul of the dish, I add okra. And ofcourse, all this is built upon a bulb of sauted garlic following the holy trinity (onions, bell peppers and celery) which gets the fragrances and flavors going.

As far as seafood, besides fresh shrimp, I add oysters and clams. Last batch I even added crab. To honor my Uncle Wendell, who taught me how to fish, ring a chicken's neck and love the outdoors, I place a nice piece of black bass on top almost at the end so that it doesn't fall apart. Bass was one of his favorite fish, and my middle name is derived from his name.

The dish is lighter than gumbo because it is not started with roux. A roux, made from flour and water is a thickener, and I like that my Gullah ancestors liked to 'keep it light', because the dish is really very low in calories and as I make it, totally healthy.

I use all organic veggies, and the freshest fish from Chinese fish markets. I find Chinese markets always a better source for fish than Whole Foods, or any other markets. Daily fresh catches, often wild caught, and all for dollars less per pound than traditional supermarkets. A slightly hot smoked sausage made of beef and chicken (my favorite choice is James' BBQ sausage) just contrasts the fish with a kick that's satisfying in itself.

A couple of last notes....I use Rooibus, the African red tea that is higher in anti-oxidants than green tea as my liquid base. To prepare it I boil at least 2 tsps in a quart pan and start my Boil with that. Later I add more water to the Boil making sure everything is covered. The Boil is actually a seafood, sausage and vegetable soup, so enough water is critical, as the broth is just as delectable as the ingredients.

And yes, sea salt....never that iodized salt. I remember that at the Penn Center, this dish was HOT! So I make sure mine is also by using what the Jamaican Ital chefs call a Scotch Bonnet pepper. And I also added about 1/8 of a tsp of cayenne pepper (30,000 scoville units).

Lawd Have Mercy....Deeelicious~

Kentke

I just ruined all that good eating by snacking out on Trader Joe's Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn!!! OMG that stuff is good! And they even had the nerve to price it cheap~ only $1.99.

Now if you really want a taste organism, add sweet raisins and dry roasted salted p-nuts. Dr. Carver would approve. It makes a great party mix, or movie/video snack.

Bon Appetite Darlings~

http://www.penncenter.com/