Original Crab Louis Recipes

CRAB AND SHRIMP LOUIS

Steps:

• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
• Evenly divide the lettuce, cucumbers, crab, shrimp, avocado, tomatoes and eggs between 4 salad plates.
• Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, relish, salt and pepper. Spoon dressing over the salad and garnish with parsley and lemon.

CRAB LOUIE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove asparagus and and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Pat dry.
• Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, ketchup, relish, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl to make the dressing.
• Toss crabmeat, lettuce, cucumber, and celery together in a large bowl with dressing to taste. Pile salad mixture evenly onto 4 plates; add equal portions of asparagus, avocado, tomatoes, and eggs. Garnish with lemon wedges.

CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• Divide the salad greens, crab, tomatoes, eggs and olives between two serving plates. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; drizzle over salads.

NEW CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• Wash the lettuce, and dry in a salad spinner and on dish towels. Chill.
• Peel the cucumber skin in stripes, then halve lengthwise, and seed with a spoon. Cut into bite-size pieces. Drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sherry or vinegar, and leave to marinate.
• Bring 4 eggs to a boil, covered, in cold water. Once the water boils, turn off the heat, and leave the eggs sitting covered, 5 to 6 minutes, depending on egg size, for them to just set with the tiniest softness in the middle. Drain immediately, and leave in very cold water for a few minutes. Peel.
• Make a damp dish towel into a ring on the kitchen table. Set a medium, round bottomed mixing bowl in it. Separate the final egg yolk. (Reserve the egg white to add to an omelet.) Whisk together the yolk, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lemon juice well. After about 5 seconds of whisking, begin to add the oil, drop by drop. Once the mayonnaise begins to thicken, start adding oil more quickly. Whisk in all of the oil, adding drops of water, if needed, to get it to a consistency just looser than store-bought mayonnaise.
• In a small bowl, drizzle chopped shallot with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a large chef's knife, pound garlic to a paste with the last ¼ teaspoon salt. Add to mayonnaise. Add chopped pickles and capers. Add the reserved shallots. Mix well, and taste for salt. Refrigerate, covered, if not using immediately.
• Lay leaves of lettuce in a lightly piled layer on dinner plates. Drain the cucumbers, and divide between plates. Halve or quarter eggs, and divide among plates, salting each lightly. Divide crab among salads. Shake hot sauce directly over the crab on each plate, as liberally as you like. Dollop each salad with dressing, mostly on crab, but allowed to cascade. Finish with a little crunchy salt, if using, and chopped chives or chive blossoms. Add any additional vegetables before the crab. Serve any remaining dressing on the side. Eat cold.

CRAB LOUIS SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare lettuce and line a shallow serving dish with greens.
• Make dressing by combining ingredients in order given and toss with crabmeat.
• Spoon crabmeat onto lettuce.
• Garnish with sliced eggs and olives.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

CRAB LOUIE SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare dressing: Whisk ketchup, mayonnaise, yellow onion, garlic, relish, dill, horseradish and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
• To prepare salad: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Place a bowl of ice water near the stove. Add asparagus to the pot, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath. Drain and pat dry.
• Place lettuce on a serving platter. Arrange the asparagus, tomatoes, eggs, celery, avocado, cucumber, scallions, olives and red onion on top. Top with crabmeat and dollop with half the dressing (reserve the remaining dressing for another use). Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• Using your finger, carefully pick through the crab and discard any bits of shell or hard cartilage. Try to leave the lumps as intact as possible. Put the meat in a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, bell pepper, lemon juice, 1/2-teaspoon salt, scallion, a couple dashes Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Season the dressing with pepper to taste.
• Gently fold about 1/4 cup of the dressing into the crab with a rubber spatula. Take care not to break the crab into smaller pieces. Put the crab salad and the dressing in the refrigerator until cold.
• Meanwhile, put the hard-boiled egg in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Using the back of a spoon, rub the egg through mesh to make a fine textured garnish. Set aside.
• Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top each with a tomato slice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place an avocado quarter across each tomato slice and top with 1/4 of the crab mixture. Spoon some of the dressing over the crab and sprinkle each salad with some of the egg. Serve and pass the remaining dressing at the table.

ORIGINAL LOUIS DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix together well and adjust seasonings to taste. I like to add a little extra chili sauce and not quite as much green onion. Serve chilled.

CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Whisk together mayonnaise, chili sauce, scallion, green olives, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bottled horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Pick over crabmeat, then divide among 4 plates lined with shredded iceberg lettuce. Garnish with capers and wedges of tomato, hard-boiled egg, and lemon and serve with dressing.

CRAB LOUIS

Steps:

• On 4 luncheon-size plates, make beds of lettuce. Mound crab on top. Combine dressing ingredients and spoon over crab, then garnish each plate with tomatoes and hard-cooked eggs.