Manassas Frogmore Stew

Okay I try hard not to be a snob since I come from up country German Danish mutt stock from frickin no where Wisconsin.  I'm German - Danish, Polish, American Indian (Iroquois from NY). So no - I got no "people from" . . .  I'm just a small town girl - living in a lonely world . took the midnight train - going anywhere. . . . "

Journey aside.  It's really all about where you are from. 

I can't be a snob since my mom puts noodles in freakin "chili." 

I don't but it's only one generation off.  I'm tainted. 

That's WI chili.  UGH.  I know from what I speak.  I've been in chili cook off's and kicked ass with my white chicken chili with green salsa!!!  YEA - but the WI aberration called CHILI by my people - NOT.

Terroir - It's a french term - it speaks of where something originated from and where your ingredients are from and the indigenous nature of them both.

Terroir makes Champagne made outside of France _ NOT champagne.....

It's pronounced TER _ WAAAH

I've never had a Belon Oyster - though I thought I had.  I won't try another till I go to Brittany and eat the original there.  Tony (bitch) has had many as have Anne de Belon's dogs.  I want to reincarnate as her dog.  I'd know the good stuff.  I know from good oysters. 

I love raw oysters.  They are as close to truth and sex as there is. 

Terrior is all about where something or someone is from - their foundation - their soil - what fed them as they grew - the sun, the air - the upbringing - all speaks of terroir.

Being from WI I could live a very very long time exploring fish fries and cole slaw and hot pepper jelly and Amish bread and all the crazy shit my people ate at holidays - CHRISTMAS SOUP is a text and blog and post and wrist slashing all it's own.....  don't even get me started on sturgeon spearing.

Terrior.

Frogmore Stew comes from South Carolina and if you have ever been to the midwest - it is sort of similar to a fish boil in it's ingredients.

It contains potatoes - celery - shrimp - blue crab meat - corn - tomatoes -sausage - and hot chili's

You start with your shrimp broth -

I took 3lbs of raw head on shrimp and tore their little heads off :D  The rest of their yumminess will go in out pot.  You can also shell them now or not - if you do save the shells and put them in with the heads.

In your kettle put 8 cups of water with the heads
mix in a cup of white wine
one finely cut up onion
and 2 chopped up stalks of celery
add 2TB either Old Bay or New Orleans Shrimp Boil mix (Bayou Blends is what I used) 
Boil for about 45 minutes - cool slightly

In your stew pot cut up your sausage into bite sized pieces - I used chorizo (made locally hence the Terroir element) - brown it and remove to another place to await being reintroduced later.

I cut up 6 hot serrano chili's and added them to the chorizo grease - then 1 cup chopped celery - 1 cup chopped onion and cook until soft.

Drain your shrimp broth to remove heads and stuff - and add 4 cups to the soup pot - scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned sausage and stuff (don't want to lose that!!!) and then add in the rest of your broth.

Once it boils add your crabs two at a time and remove them when they are pink.  I did 6 but you can add or reduce that number as you see fit.  Take your crabs and cool them - pick the roe out of the middle and add to the pot and take the meat out of the claws and reserve til right before serving.

Add in 4 cups of chopped peeled yukon or white (waxy) potatoes. 

let cook about 15 minutes then I took the corn off the cob (3 ears) but you can just break up the cobs and add them to the pot.  add 6 tomatoes that have been skinned and chopped. and bring to a boil. 

add in 1 TB more of your shrimp boil seasoning. put your sausage back in
AND
lastly add the shrimp and crabmeat and boil 3 minutes or so and consume.

It is really quite tasty!!!

Terroir - I may not be from here - but I'm learning what's good.  And this stuff is awesome!