South Carolina’s own Stephen Colbert tells us how in Does This Taste Funny?, the excellent cookbook he wrote with his wife, Evie McGee Colbert (who’s also from Charleston):

“If you just want a few crabs for dinner, tie a chicken neck to a string, drop it off the side of a boat or dock, and after (let’s say) five minutes, slooooowly draw it back up. As it gets to the surface, you’ll see the crab nibbling away with a firm grip, and he won’t know the jig is up until your net slides under him.”

It really is that simple. All you need is a ball of twine, a chicken neck, and a crab net (available from any local outfitter or sporting goods department).

The South Causeway Bridge is the sweet spot for crabbing on Pawleys Island, and the best time for crabbing is when the tide is coming in or going out — not at high tide or low tide.

THE FINE PRINT

• Three lines are usually adequate, but if you’re feeding a crowd or want to use a large crab pot, you can pick up a South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License online at dnr.sc.gov or at a local outdoors store.

• The crab should measure at least five inches, point to point; if it’s smaller, throw it back.

• If you catch a female crab with an egg sac, toss her back, too.

COOKING YOUR DINNER

Once you’ve caught your dinner, rinse the crabs and put them on ice while you bring your steam pot to a boil. Add the crabs to boiling water (or a combination of water and beer), seasoned with Old Bay or the seafood spice mix of your choice.

Blue crabs should be boiled until they turn a bright, solid red-orange color, which typically takes 5–10 minutes. Remove them from the pot and set them aside to cool a bit before serving.

THE LOGISTICS OF CRAB CRACKING

To extract that tasty crabmeat, you’ll need crab crackers: a tool resembling a nutcracker. Use it on the claws, squeezing just until you hear a slight crunch. Pull the meat from the shell, dip it in drawn butter and enjoy.

You’ll find more crabmeat inside the cavity. Starting at the underbelly, peel open the shell and discard the internal organs; then pull the delicious crabmeat out of the shell.

HOSTING A PROPER LOWCOUNTRY BOIL IN YOUR BACKYARD

You can also add potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob and shrimp to your steam pot. That’s a full meal known as a Lowcountry Boil or Frogmore Stew. Those four ingredients are the basics, but blue crabs are a great addition.

The recipe below (from the South Carolina Office of Tourism) serves about six, but it’s easy to adjust. Just allow about 1/2 pound of shrimp and about 1/4 pound of sausage per person, and several potatoes and pieces of corn.

Frogmore Stew

• Several bottles of beer and some water
• 1/2 cup of your preferred seafood seasoning
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• 15 new potatoes, unpeeled
• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked, silk removed and broken into 2 or 3 inch pieces
• 1 (16-ounce) package smoked or Kielbasa sausage, cut into one-inch pieces, browned and then drained on paper towels
• 3 pounds large fresh shrimp, in shells

In a large pot, mix beer and water and season with your choice of seafood seasoning and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the corn and sausage (and crabs, if you’re using them). Cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until they are pink, probably less than 5 minutes. Drain.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, this is a messy business: save your china and crystal for another day. Just spread newspaper on your picnic table, dump the food on it, and let everyone dive in.

Serve with cold beer, iced tea, and cups of drawn butter for dipping. If crabs are on the menu, have crab crackers on hand — and a roll of paper towels will probably come in handy.

Cleanup couldn’t be easier: just wrap the table scraps in the newspaper and dispose of the evidence. How’s that for casual dining at its best?

Source: Litchfield Style 2026