Our Family's Low Country Boil

A few years ago, my friend Judy made what she called "Dump Dinner"... I was in HEAVEN! I had NEVER (can you believe it?) had this wonderful concoction. Of course, when I made it, I twisted it and tweaked it,and made it my own. I truly like this better than any of the ones I had in S. Carolina. Make it yours. If you want something left out, do it. If you like to add other things, do... we make it with the same seasonings every time and we mix up the food... nothing better. Thanks, Judy, for introducing me to what is now my favorite meal!
The thing with this recipe is that YOU determine the amount of the ingredients. I will give you my approximate measurements, but know that the appetite determines the expense of this meal.
1 Boil In Bag, by Old Bay
Old Bay Seasoning, about 1/4 cup
3 Lemons, cut in half
Whole New Red Potatoes (two to three per person)
Corn ( we use Milk and Honey= 1 ear per person)
Andouille or Cajun Flavored Smoked Sausage, cut into 3" to 4" pieces (we prefer a Cajun flavored smoked sausage we can only find at Food City.. the name escapes me at the moment, but it is packaged like Polish Sausage, in one whole length)
Shrimp, unpeeled (about a half pound per person, the larger the better)
Crawfish (I usually buy a pound, but if you like them a lot, adjust the amount)This is the New Orleans Version. If you don't like them, leave them out. I don't like them but my husband does. It doesn't affect the taste of the other foods if you use them.
Crab Legs ( I allot 1 cluster per person, since they are usually expensive)

I use my Turkey Fryer and cook this outdoors, but I have used a huge stockpot (NOT a Dutch Oven-TOO small) on the stove. Half fill with water, add the boiling bag and squeeze the lemons, then add the pieces. Bring to a boil, then add the Old Bay. The more food I am cooking, the more Old Bay I use.
Step 1 Cook the potatoes about ten minutes.
Step 2. Add the sausage and corn, bring back to a boil and boil for about five minutes, less if the corn was bought in the freezer section of the grocery store. I put my corn up in the summer time, blanched, so that it stays "crunchier"... I don't like the mushy frozen half ears from the store, but lots of people use them and swear by them. Go with YOUR taste buds, but don't overcook the corn.
Step 3. Add the crab, bring back to a boil, then add the shrimp and the crawfish, cooking only until the shrimp is done and the crawfish are warm

Now, the reason Judy called this Dump Dinner is this... If you eat it in S. Carolina, it comes on big round server trays, and is served at tables with holes in the center and trash cans under those holes.
Judy must have found out about them from someone who ate this in Louisiana. In New Orleans and that area, once this is cooked and ready to serve, there are clean trash bags or newspapers spread down the center of a big table and once the liquid is drained, the food is literally DUMPED onto the bags or newspaper and people sit on either side, serving themselves with their hands.
I like to do this on my deck, by my pool, and each person gets a ramekin of butter, one of Old Bay, and for those die hards who think you HAVE to use salt on everything, I put salt and pepper out.
I use the butter to dip my potatoes in, then I barely dip them in the Old Bay and oh, my... how tasty!
Clean up is so easy... you just roll up the newspapers and put shells, etc in the paper, throw it all away and wipe up the table...
This dinner usually takes only 10 to 15 minutes to cook on a turkey fryer. I like to buy shrimp and crab, etc on sale and put it in the freezer. Then, when a Saturday just feels perfect and I have a hankerin' for a party, I call up some friends or family and take out the stuff I've had in the freezer, crank up the Propane and in less than a half hour, it's a beachy night around the pool!
Key Lime Pie or Watermelon make the perfect ending to this meal!