If you’ve lived in Beaufort for more than ten years, you probably crossed paths with Steve Brown at one time or another. Owner of Steve Brown Catering, Steve’s over-the-top portions of food were featured at many a wedding, festival, and party. His fleet of catering vans were spotted all over town every day. Steve’s cookies were famous! More than a creator of delicious cuisine, Steve was a humanitarian. Always willing to give, happy to donate and unabashedly considerate of his fellow Beaufortonians, Steve easily won a reputation for his big heart as well as his big portions. When I opened my catering business in 1997, Steve was one of my most supportive cheerleaders. I still have a stack of letters that he wrote to me over the years, offering the use of his vans, his equipment, – “anything I have, it’s yours.” Every letter was signed with a smiley face. During Covid, Steve and his daughter Kelsey created videos of Steve demonstrating the recipes for some of his famous catering specialties. This week, in celebration of Steve’s life, I’m paying it forward. These three recipes were Steve’s – copied straight from the recipes that he shared. Steven Ned Brown passed away on April 23rd. A beloved fixture in the community for many years, Stevie B. from Beaufort, SC will be missed by his family, his friends, his church, and the whole of Beaufort County.
Steve Brown’s Lowcountry Blue Crab Cakes
Steve’s crab cakes were a staple at the weddings he catered. A member of his staff would fry mini versions in a black cast iron skillet over an open flame. Guests waited in line patiently for a taste of these sumptuous delicacies.
8 ounces lump crab
8 ounces backfin or claw crab
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Little dry mustard
Dash of hot sauce
Little Old Bay seasoning
Little sea salt
Little black pepper
Fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
2/3 stick of melted butter
2 sprigs of spring onion tips
Fresh parsley
Diced sweet peppers, optional
In a large bowl, mix box crab meats together. Add mayonnaise and seasonings. Sprinkle with baking powder and stir. Whisk egg in a separate bowl and add. Mix in breadcrumbs. Add melted butter. Add spring onion tips and parsley. Add peppers, if desired. Form crab patties. Put patties in refrigerator for one hour, until butter sets up. Heat a dry cast iron skillet. When hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2/3 stick butter. When oil/butter is hot, cook the crab patties for 5 minutes on each side. Add butter to the skillet as needed for the remainder of the crab patties. Makes 10.
Steve Brown’s Spaghetti Salad
I’m sharing Steve’s Spaghetti Salad recipe verbatim. This is exactly how he typed it on a sheet of recipes that he sent to me. My additions include mushrooms, petite diced tomatoes, and red onions. I also used pepperoni minis instead of quartering the pepperoni slices. Add whatever you like. Make it your own. Just be sure to let it rest overnight in the fridge so that the pasta absorbs all of the flavors — and Steve said to serve it cold.
Cooked spaghetti laced with olive oil
Your own or favorite Italian dressing
Just enough sugar to smooth out taste
Small-diced peppers and sweet onion
Pepperoni slices, quartered
Ham, sliced small like pepperoni
Sliced black olives, not too many
Fresh parsley
Plenty of McCormick Salad Supreme (now made by other spice companies)
Here is where you can do anything you want. Add your favorites.
Cool overnight. Better flavor.
Serves 10 to 12.
Steve Brown’s White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
My favorite Steve Brown cookie. Steve’s cookies were gigantic — just like his personality! (For a detailed baking demonstration, please visit the Lowcountry Weekly website or @chefdebbicovington on YouTube or Instagram to watch this short video.)
2 sticks of soft butter (for best flavor, brown the butter and cool ‘till bake time!)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons good vanilla
2 eggs
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips (or hand cut white chocolate bars)
2 cups macadamia nuts (leave 1/3 of the nuts whole. Put the reminder into a ziplock baggie and crush. Adds more flavor.)
Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the next 5 ingredients. Mix both bowls’ ingredients together by hand. Add chips and nuts. Chill dough 30 minutes. Form cookies. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes. Makes 3½ dozen.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com
