Dungeness Crab Louie ~ King of Salads

The origin of the West Coast's most famous salad is unclear.  It appeared on menus in San Francisco and Seattle as early as 1910 and can now be found on the menu of every reputable fish house in the Pacific Northwest.  Although this perfect salad is simple and straight forward the ingredients and presentation follow an exact recipe, and local diners would be close to horrified to find some foreign matter like mushrooms or avocado on their plate.  The proper base for the salad is ALWAYS crisp iceberg lettuce.  A generous serving of very fresh Dungeness crab is piled on top of the lettuce and is surrounded by tomato and hard boiled egg slices, cucumber (acceptable to most crab fanatics) and wedges of lemon.  I shred the lettuce and cut tomatoes and eggs (occasionally cucumbers) into bite sized pieces so a knife isn't necessary.   Garnish with lemon wedges.

Serve the salad icy cold with a bowl of Louie dressing.  Thousand Island works in a pinch and is always served with the salad.  If you order a Louie with some other dressing be prepared for "the look" from the waiter.  Great creations just shouldn't be tampered with.   This salad deserves the best so I always make my grandmother's Louie dressing to serve along side.

Our Dungeness crab season is at its peak right now and will continue for several months.  If you find fresh crab in your market I hope you will try this amazing salad.  The combination of flavors and textures is perfect.

The Olympic Club in Seattle, The St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco and The Bohemian in Portland all laid claim to this dressing.  A similar version is still served today, a hundred years later.  You can't improve on perfection.

Crab Louis Dressing

2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve the dressing on the side along with crusty French bread.