In late summer and early fall, local shrimp and blue crabs are abundant in the sounds, tidal rivers, and creeks that surround our beach house on Tybee Island, and sweet corn is available, too. Last year, we celebrated our son Andy’s thirtieth birthday with a Low Country Boil at Ebbtide, inviting some of his oldest friends to gather to mark his big day. Not everybody adds blue crab to their Low Country Boil, but when the traps we dropped off our friend’s dock yielded four dozen specimens in about an hour, they were added to the pot. In addition to the seafood component, it’s traditional for the menu to include Savannah red rice, a spicy local specialty, and for an easy green vegetable, fried okra cakes are convenient because they can be made in advance and served at room temperature. A peach and blackberry or blueberry cobbler rounds out a meal that emphasizes local gifts from the garden and the sea. (And a scoop of ice cream on top of warm-from-the-oven cobbler never hurt.)
SERVES 10 TO 12