Clockwise from top left: After a day of soaking, the ham changes the color of the water in the cooler. Next, the water is drained, leaving a bigger, more pliable ham. Finally, the water is replaced for a second day of soaking.
After a day of soaking, the ham is plumping up. We opened the cooler last night and took a look before draining the water.
The meat is more pliable, and the ham looks bigger. I'm starting to get worried about having a pot large enough to boil it in, when the time comes. The largest stockpot around here is about 4 inches too short, and I can't see boiling the ham in a covered roaster, even if I could find one big enough.
Next step: Off to Home Depot for a cheap turkey fryer pot. If I were in Savannah, I'd have no trouble picking up the perfect size, one that's ideal for a Low Country Boil. In Atlanta, I may not find one.
Low Country Boil, by the way, is a coastal specialty of boiled potatoes, corn, sausage and shrimp, usually served with cocktail sauce, beer and plenty of napkins. In South Carolina, it's called Frogmore Stew; in Georgia, Low Country Boil.
King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland, Ga., offers the basic recipe, sized for 30 people, on its Web site. It's easy to reduce to fit a smaller gathering, and couldn't be simpler to prepare.
I like this recipe because it's one of the few that gives the correct cooking time for shrimp, which are added at the end. There's nothing worse than rubbery, overcooked shrimp. Leaving them in the pot for more than 2 minutes is a sure way to ruin them.
We replaced the tan-colored water in the cooler and closed it up for another day.
