“I started visiting Charleston, South Carolina, when I was in college in Virginia and North Carolina. I immediately liked it because the Lowcountry, as it is known, with its watery grassland, was a more regal-looking version of the marsh I grew up in hunting and fishing in south Louisiana. Charleston itself reminds me of old New Orleans, its European-style townhouses stacked side by side and a Creole cuisine steeped in tradition and history. Years later, a friend would clap me on the shoulder as I mused over this and said, ‘Remember, New Orleans was settled by the Spanish and French, Charleston was settled by the English. Think about that, why don’t ya!’ The folks of the area do a Lowcountry boil that is a less spicy version of a Cajun shrimp boil. This Lowcountry Cast-Iron Skillet Scramble is a tip of the hat to what my buddies in South Carolina do.” – John Currence
- 1⁄4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup clarified butter or your preferred cooking fat
- 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1⁄2 cup diced andouille sausage
- 1⁄3 cup medium shrimp, peeled
- 1⁄4 teaspoon plus a pinch of Old Bay seasoning, divided
- 1⁄2 cup Potato Hash (recipe follows)
- 1⁄4 cup diced tomato
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1⁄4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons sliced green onion
- Preheat the broiler.
- In a small cast-iron skillet or baking dish, stir together the corn and olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Broil, stirring every 30 or 45 seconds, until the corn begins to brown lightly, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside. Do not turn off the broiler.
- Warm the clarified butter in a 6-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion begins to turn transparent, about 1 minute. Add the andouille, shrimp, 1⁄4 teaspoon Old Bay, and Potato Hash, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broiled corn and diced tomato, and cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 30 seconds. LAST Add the eggs, and cook, stirring with a silicone spatula, scraping up large curds from the bottom of the pan. Just as the eggs are almost set but still a tiny bit runny, about 2 minutes, turn off the heat, and sprinkle with the cheese. Slide the pan under the broiler, and broil until the cheese melts, 10 to 15 seconds. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with the green onions and a pinch of Old Bay. Serve immediately.
- Kitchen tip: To clarify butter, melt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. As it heats, the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan. Skim any foam off the top, and pour the clarified butter into another container, discarding the milk solids in the pan.
- 2 cups diced baking potato, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat or your preferred cooking fat
- 1⁄4 cup diced yellow onion Ground black pepper, to taste
- Set up an ice bath by adding ice and cold water to a large bowl. Place the potato in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, 2 or 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then plunge into the ice bath for a minute or so to stop the cooking process. Drain.
- Warm the bacon fat in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, stirring to combine, and season immediately with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, slowly stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.
Find more great recipes like this one in Big Bad Breakfast by John Currence (Ten Speed Press, 2016)