Salad Days

When it's 90 degrees and 95% humidity, as it was today, you just don't feel like eating something hot, right? Enter Crab Louis. I've been jonesing for some crab and avocado lately. I don't know why I get these cravings...but I figure it has something to do with nutrients my body is in need of. Anyway, I needed some way to pull together crabmeat and avocado...and Crab Louis (pronounced Louie, really) is the perfect vehicle. So here's an homage to an uncle I am told I knew as a very young child - Uncle Louie. He was married to Aunt Frannie for a while. (Actually, the dish Crab Louis originated in San Francisco at swanky hotel in the early 1900's.)

The nice thing about this dish is that the only cooking you have to do is boiling the eggs. Dave and I enjoyed this tonight with a nice Pinot Grigio and a crusty baguette.

Crab Louis

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chili sauce (I used Heinz)

1/4 cup minced scallions

2 tablespoons minced green olives

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon bottled horseradish

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 lb jumbo lump crabmeat (I use Sigma Supreme in the can)

1 ripe avocado cut into slices

Iceberg lettuce, shredded

Large leafs of red-leaf Romaine lettuce to line plates

Tomato wedges

Hard-boiled egg

Dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, chili sauce, scallion, green olives, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bottled horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pick through the crabmeat looking for shell or anything else that may be undesirable. Then divide among 4 plates lined with redleaf romaine leaves and shredded iceberg lettuce. Garnish with wedges of tomato, hard-boiled egg, avocado and serve with dressing. Lightly salt egg wedges and avocado with Fleur de sel.

Makes 4 main-course servings.