Beach picnics, backyard cookouts, weekend potlucks—there’s nothing like gathering with friends and family in South Carolina’s warm weather while lingering over a homemade meal. Make your own new tradition with these iconic South Carolina dishes.
In Good Company
Deviled Crab
Abundant in South Carolina’s Lowcountry from spring through summer, crabs are beloved for their sweet, tender meat, and this dish showcases this delicacy with several other quintessentially Southern ingredients. Recipes vary but expect to see lump crab meat, breadcrumbs, Duke’s mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, butter, lemon and fresh herbs mixed together—and then stuffed back into the individual crab shells before baking. (Hint: It’s perfect for hand-held eating.)
Peach Cobbler
A glorious mishmash of juicy, locally grown peaches simmered with sugar and water, then baked atop a bed of buttery homemade batter, this dessert is a no-fuss crowd favorite. Spoon out a few scoops straight from the baking dish and generously top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Frogmore Stew
Also known as Lowcountry Boil, Frogmore Stew (which hails from the St. Helena Island fishing community named Frogmore) is a one-pot dish of shrimp, corn on the cob, new potatoes and smoked sausage. This large format meal is typically served on newspaper, making it perfect for a casual backyard get together.
Chicken Bog
It’s easy to feed a crowd when you cook up a giant pot of this Lowcountry staple, whose unusual name nods to the soupiness—or, shall we say, bogginess?—of the dish. Simmer shredded chicken meat, smoked sausage, Carolina Gold rice and herbs in flavorful chicken stock until it reaches the perfect consistency.
Tomato Pie
Summertime means an abundance of sun-ripened tomatoes fresh from the garden, so put them to good use with this savory pie, which combines sliced tomatoes, sauteed sweet onion, fresh basil, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and tangy Duke’s mayonnaise—all layered in a pie crust. Feel free to add some bacon for an even deeper flavor.
South Carolina’s Chef Ambassadors do more than craft excellent cuisine—they also contribute to their local communities through good deeds that help build a strong sense of kinship and local pride.
Chef Brandon Velie, who helms Juniper, a farm-to-table restaurant located deep within the close-knit peach farming community of Ridge Spring, leapt into action when COVID-19 hit his small town. He and the Juniper team created Community Table: a table that sits out front of the restaurant, providing free produce to anyone in need.
Meanwhile, Chef Jamie Daskalis has long been an active advocate for autism awareness, inspired by her son, James, who was diagnosed with autism at age 3. She hosts sensory-friendly events at Johnny D’s, her restaurant in Myrtle Beach, and creates an autism awareness campaign every April. Money collected and raised during these events are donated to two local organizations: Champion Autism Network and SOS Health Care.
