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Crab Louie – King of All Salads
Crab Louie Salad is a famous west coast dish dating back to the early 1900s that was typically served at fancy luncheons. There is some discrepancy as to which restaurant started serving it first. In 1910, the recipe was published in the St. Francis cookbook, and by 1914, Solaris restaurant, also located in San Francisco, had it on their menu. The French Louie is a composed salad, which is a salad that’s arranged on a platter or plate, rather than tossed in a salad bowl. It almost always includes crunchy lettuce, crab meat, poached asparagus spears, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs and is served with a creamy, tangy dressing made with mayonnaise, ketchup or chili sauce and pickle relish. Though it’s not quite as popular as it used to be, we think this delicious salad deserves a major comeback. Our version calls for avocados and sliced radishes, but the world is your oyster (er... crab) when it comes to additions. Fresh crabmeat is best, but tinned will work in a pinch. Pair with California sparkling wine or California Chardonnay.
Pairs With
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 5 ounces little gem or baby lettuce (141g)
- 1 bunch of asparagus, about 1 pound (453g), tough ends trimmed
- 5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 medium avocados, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch wedges (.64cm)
- 2 medium tomatoes, cored and sliced into 8ths
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (150g)
- 4 eggs
- 16 ounces fresh crab meat, picked over for shells (453g)
- 1 lemon, sliced into 8ths
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Whisk the mayo, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing can be made up to three days in advance.
- Fill a medium saucepan ⅔ with water. Bring to a simmer. Add the trimmed asparagus and poach for 1-2 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green and just tender. Remove from the water and immediately plunge into an ice bath to cool.
- Return pot of water to a boil and add the eggs. Reduce heat to a gentle rolling boil. Cook eggs for 6 ½ minutes for jammy yolks, or 8 minutes for firmer yolks. Remove eggs and immediately plunge them into an ice bath to cool.
- Cut the stems off of the lettuce heads, and wash and dry leaves. Arrange the lettuce on platter. Remove the asparagus from the ice bath and pat dry. Place on platter next to the lettuce. Peel and halve eggs and place next to the asparagus. Arrange the crab in a neat mound on top of the lettuce. Add the radish slices and avocado slices to the platter. Place the tomatoes and lemon slices next to the lettuce. Pour dressing into 4 small serving bowls. Serve immediately.
Make the dressing. Whisk the mayo, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing can be made up to three days in advance.
Fill a medium saucepan ⅔ with water. Bring to a simmer. Add the trimmed asparagus and poach for 1-2 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green and just tender. Remove from the water and immediately plunge into an ice bath to cool.
Return pot of water to a boil and add the eggs. Reduce heat to a gentle rolling boil. Cook eggs for 6 ½ minutes for jammy yolks, or 8 minutes for firmer yolks. Remove eggs and immediately plunge them into an ice bath to cool.
Cut the stems off of the lettuce heads and wash and dry leaves. Arrange the lettuce on platter. Remove the asparagus from the ice bath and pat dry. Place on platter next to the lettuce. Peel and halve eggs and place next to the asparagus. Arrange the crab in a neat mound on top of the lettuce. Add the radish slices and avocado slices to the platter. Place the tomatoes and lemon slices next to the lettuce. Pour dressing into 4 small serving bowls. Serve immediately.
Pairs With
