Capt. Charlie’s | Capt. Charlie's Daughter

Whenever I smell shrimp steaming on the stovetop, I can expect a flood of memories of home. On warm, summer days in Swansboro, my mother frequently made shrimp salad, which I believe is the perfect summer lunch treat1 I have tweaked her recipe a bit and suggest piling this delicate salad atop a toasted roll, split on top– just like a Lobster Roll, but better! Try it and let me know what you think!

Swansboro Shrimp Roll

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh or frozen NC shrimp
3 cups water
4 tsp. Old Bay
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s)
1/3 cup sweet pickles, chopped (preferably homemade)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4 split sandwich rolls (or hot dog buns)
2 Tbs. butter, softened

Directions:

Wash and clean shrimp. (Shrimp will have more flavor if you cook them in the shells, but if you prefer, remove the shells and devein them before cooking. You can also cook the shrimp with the shells you have removed.)
Place shrimp in a medium pot and cover with water.
Bring water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Stir the shrimp until all are pink.
Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle shrimp with 3 tsp. Old Bay.
Let shrimp cool in the pot. When they are cool enough to handle, drain the shrimp and remove the shells.
Break or cut shrimp into quarter inch pieces and place in a medium glass bowl.
Add celery, mayonnaise, and pickles. Stir to combine.
Add 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. Old Bay (to taste.)
Spread butter on tops of rolls and toast in a skillet or under the broiler.
Fill rolls with shrimp mixture and serve immediately.

This Shrimp Salad can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. It can also be served without the roll on a bed of lettuce. Enjoy!

Val Tucker Short July, 2025

There was always a “special” on Capt. Charlie’s menu. For a mere $2.95 in the 60’s, you could get a piece of fried fish– your choice of flounder, blue fish or mullet– and a nice portion of deviled crab casserole with fries, cole slaw, hushpuppies and of course, the cup of Capt. Charlie’s iconic clam chowder! Those were indeed the good ‘ole days!

I must confess that Deviled Crab was my least favorite dish at Capt. Charlie’s back in the day, but I did eventually grow to appreciate the colorful presentation, the hint of spiciness, the explosion of flavors that enhanced the delicate crabmeat, and the sheer popularity of this unique casserole. Because of the spice, you might assume the recipe includes red pepper flakes or a few shakes of Texas Pete, but no. There are no spicy peppers in this recipe– not even ground black pepper! You’ll find only sweet red and green peppers with a few chopped sweet onions thrown in. I think the spice flavors come from several mystery ingredients that you would never recognize unless you have a super discerning palate! I believe the worcestershire sauce, sweet pickles, and Old Bay seasoning are the hidden gems in this recipe that provide a depth of flavor that makes this dish different from any other deviled crab you’ll ever taste.

Deviled crab at Capt. Charlie’s was baked in large quantities every other day or so. The original recipe called for six pounds of lump crabmeat, several loaves of toasted bread, and tons of onions and peppers! I have scaled down the original recipe to more affordable and manageable quantities. I am happy to finally– after so many requests for this recipe– share it with you now. With best wishes from the Tucker family, this recipe is now yours.

Capt. Charlie’s Deviled Crab Casserole

Ingredients: 10 slices of toasted bread; 1 1/3 cups milk; 2 sticks of celery, chopped fine; 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped fine; 1 medium red pepper, chopped fine; 1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine; 1 pound can of lump crabmeat; 1 stick butter, melted; 1 tsp. seafood seasoning (Old Bay;) 1 Tbs. dry wine; 2 sweet pickle slices, chopped; 4Tbs. mayonnaise; 21/2 Tbs. prepared mustard; salt to taste; and 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Toast bread for about 10 minutes, until light brown and crunchy. Cut bread into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour milk over bread and mix well. Set aside.

While bread is toasting, chop vegetables and pickles and mix well in a large bowl. Gently toss vegetables with crabmeat. Add bread mixture, melted butter, mustard, mayonnaise, wine, and seasonings. Mix gently with your hands.

Pour into a buttered 9 X 13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and pour ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce over the mixture. Return to oven and bake for about 30 more minutes or until bubbly and brown. Serve immediately. Keeps well in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several months. Enjoy!