Tag Archives: NC

Make Your Own Capt. Charlie’s Stuffed Shrimp for the Holidays!

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I’ve had a kind reader request the recipe for Capt. Charlie’s Stuffed Shrimp so that she can surprise her son at their Thanksgiving meal!  What a fabulous idea— it’s such a festive and tasty dish and a wonderful way to celebrate two delicious gifts from the sea— crab and shrimp—and the holiday season!

Stuffed Shrimp and Stuffed Flounder were two signature dishes at Capt. Charlie’s that were at the upper end of the price range on the menu and in our family, reserved for special occasions like birthdays.  Each dish was prepared by hand and baked individually on oval, cast-iron plates that fit perfectly into the restaurant’s heavy white china for serving. 

I will share the Stuffed Flounder recipe at a later date, so for now, let’s focus on Stuffed Shrimp.  When you ordered Stuffed Shrimp at Capt. Charlies, you had two options:  Butter or Hot Sauce.  Both are equally delicious and very different.  My preference was always butter, but for those who could not decide, you could order it with half butter and half hot sauce!  I will share the recipes for both.

To make the stuffed shrimp with hot sauce, I’m going to reveal a hidden secret here! You must first have the recipe for the hot sauce, which was actually Capt. Charlie’s Cocktail Sauce!  Cocktail Sauce was made by the gallons at Capt. Charlie’s by the kitchen staff.  I have the original recipe, which makes a gallon, but I have pared it down for you here: 

Capt. Charlie’s Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:  Juice of one lemon, 5 Tbs. prepared horseradish; 3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce; 1 ½ Tbs. Texas Pete; 1 cup tomato juice; and ¾ cup catsup.

Mix all ingredients in a quart glass jar and shake well.  Refrigerate.  Optional:  to kick it up a bit, add the grated zest of one lemon. This sauce is best after a few days in the refrigerator.

Once you have the sauce, the rest of the recipe is easy.  Here you go:

Capt. Charlie’s Stuffed Shrimp

Ingredients:  1 pound fresh or fresh-frozen jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied; 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through to remove shell, (backfin will also work); 1-2 cups Capt.  Charlie’s Cocktail Sauce; ¼ cup butter, softened.

Directions:  Generously brush shallow baking dish with butter; gently lay butterflied shrimp flat on the pan;  generously pile crabmeat on top of each shrimp; pour cocktail sauce over the shrimp and crabmeat; bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about a half hour, or until shrimp are pink and sauce is bubbly.  Serves two.

Alternative Stuffed Shrimp with Butter:  Melt 2 sticks of butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup; pour butter over shrimp and crabmeat and bake as directed above.

Happy Holidays from your old friends at Capt. Charlie’s Seafood Paradise, Swansboro, NC!

Tucker’s Shrimp Creole Is Still a Family Favorite

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Even before we were associated with Capt.Charlie’s Restaurant in Swansboro, our dad, Harry Tucker, or Pop as we called him, was the expert in the kitchen at home. But our Mama, Lou Grady Thompson Tucker, was a fine cook in her own right. Shrimp Creole was one of her specialties and it was the most perfect and satisfying of comfort foods!

Shrimp Creole was another Tucker family recipe that never made its way to the Capt. Charlie’s menu, but this delicious creation was served often at home on chilly nights and on special occasions.

The success of this dish is, of course, dependent on the availability of delicious, quality shrimp. Those were then and still are very plentiful and delicious in Swansboro! My favorite source of fresh shrimp in Swansboro continues to be Clyde Phillips Seafood Market on the causeway, which also offers many other gifts from the sea!

So– here’s Mama’s recipe for Shrimp Creole, which I have tweaked a bit.  I’m also sharing my own substitute for Old Bay, which adds some additional notes of sweetness and spice that I think Mama would have loved!

 Ingredients:                                                                                                                       1  pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined; reserve shells                                            2  Tbs. butter or olive oil                                                                                                    1/2  cup each diced green pepper and chopped celery                                                      1  medium sweet onion, chopped                                                                                      1/2 cup sliced mushrooms                                                                                                3  cloves garlic, smashed but not cut                                                                                2  14.5 oz. cans petite cut diced tomatoes                                                                          1  14.5 oz. can tomato sauce                                                                                            1-2  tsp. Old Bay seasoning                                                                                                 2  bay leaves                                                                                                                      1-2 cups shrimp broth                                                                                                          Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:                                                                                                                         Peel and devein shrimp. Place shells in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Wash shrimp well and drain.

Saute bell pepper and celery in oil or butter; Add onions and saute until transparent. Add mushrooms, garlic, and bay leaves; continue to saute for 2-3 minutes; Add canned tomatoes and sauce and stir to combine; add spices and bring to a simmer; Strain shells from shrimp broth and measure 1 to 2 cups of broth and pour into vegetable mixture.  Continue to simmer.

When vegetables are tender, add the shrimp and bring to a simmer but not a hard boil. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink; remove from heat. Remove bay leaves and garlic.

Serve over cooked rice with fresh buttered bread and a green salad.  Enjoy!

           Bonus Recipe:  Val’s New Old Bay                                                                       Combine the following:  1 Tbs. celery salt, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1 pinch of these spices:  nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves, ginger, and dry mustard.   Mix well and store in a sealed container.