Looking to play tourist here in our home city? Look no further. The Emeline and Casual Crabbing With Tia have partnered to offer locals and visitors the chance to learn the art of crabbing.

Tia Clark, a Charleston native, started Casual Crabbing with Tia in 2017. Tickets start at $125, and the excursion lasts ~2.5 hours. Pro tip: If you don't have a valid SC fishing license, make sure you purchase one before your experience.

Learn the tricks of crabbing with Tia, a Charleston native, who’s been doing it for years. | Photo provided by Lou Hammond Group

Guests will meet Tia dockside in the Charleston Harbor to learn crabbing tips. Tia will help everyone master the delicate art of throwing a cast net and can even help set bait and fish.

“The experience is very hands-on as Tia shows everyone the ropes of how to cast nets, how to check crab traps, how to cast a fishing line, and how to measure any crabs that are caught,” said Adam Jimenez, General Manager of food and beverage at Emeline. Jimenez adds, “Crabbing with Tia combines two of the things we celebrate at Emeline: Charleston’s beautiful outdoors and its culinary traditions. We hope guests will be able to broaden their experiences, step outside the box of a traditional visit, and learn from a Charleston native.”

Emeline guests can take any crabs caught during the excursion to one of its dining options, Frannie & The Fox (this applies to soft shell season). Chef Paolo Rossin has shared the restaurant prepares the soft-shell crabs with an Italian twist.

Before you feast, you'll learn tips and tricks of crabbing from a local. | Photo provided by Lou Hammond Group

Frannie & The Fox soft-shell crab preparation

Ingredients

6 soft-shell blue crab, preferably male
3 scallion, sliced
1 large shallot, halved and sliced
1 Fresno pepper, sliced and seed removed
2 lemon zest and juice
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 stick butter
½ cup white wine
2 teaspoons paprika
parsley
chive
salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Coating:

all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
Old Bay seasoning

Instructions
Mix flour, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning. Start by dusting each soft-shell crab in the coating mixture and fry them in a separate pan with olive oil until golden brown, remove from pan and set aside.

For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Add the garlic, shallot, and Fresno peppers and toast to release the flavors, but be careful not to brown the garlic, otherwise, it will turn bitter.

Add the white wine, cook down till the alcohol evaporates, and then add your diced butter, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.

Add to the sauce the fried crabs, drizzle with lemon juice and zest, as well as your fresh chopped herbs, and toss to coat all the crabs in the sauce.

Place the crabs in a large serving bowl, pour over the cooking liquid, and garnish with additional sliced scallions, parsley, and lemon wedges.