My Favorite Salad

 We eat meatless about 2 times a week for dinner. Tuesday night and Thursday night usually. Tonight I made our favorite salad with shrimps and avocados and hard boiled eggs. But its not about the salad as much as the dressing. The perfect foil for the ingredients you would think they were made for each other. Topped off with a few homemade croutons and you have a real treat. 

 

Tonight I used iceberg lettuce because I was too lazy to clean the romaine. I added persian cukes,  cherry tomatoes, wedges of hard boiled eggs and about 6 or 7 shrimp. Good sized shrimp (16-20) that had been boiled in the shell then chilled. 

But the dressing. I have been making this version of Bernie Schimmel's recipe for years. You may recall he was the chef at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha and I've had his cookbook for over 40 years, a signed edition given to me by a friend. In it he has a whole section on sauces and dressings. I’ve used a version of his Crab Louis dressing on this salad forever and it never ceases to surprise me what a great match it is for these few ingredients or as a dip for the shrimps. Its is simply sublime. 

Tom's Crab Louis Dressing

 

In a jar...

 

1/2 cup of mayo  (I used light)

1 tbls chili sauce

1 tbls ketchup

1 tbls lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

1 teas Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbls sour cream

Good shake of hot sauce

Finely Chopped scallion Or chives

 

Mix it all and  give it a good shake. Add a bit of milk if its too thick. 

Croutons? Easy. Cut a few thick slices of crusty bread into cubes. Coat with olive oil, garlic salt and sprinkle with Parmesan. Put in a 375 oven for about 5-7 minutes to toast crisp. 

 

Crab Au Gratin

We had a date with Theo, the middle Mohs child and Mackenzie’s charge for a little one on one time. Theo is 4 and loves Santa Tom (in theory) and is fascinated with crab legs at the local grocery. We made a date to pick some up and cook them with Mac and Cheese for a nice lunch. 

As expected things waxed and waned a bit but the wooden mallets for cracking claws was irresistible. We sat down to lunch and Theo ate a bit of crab leg but destroyed the pile of shells with glee and helped pick out the meat. He ate an apple and a pile of Mac and Cheese so no ones complaining. We followed up with The Empire Strikes Back, another new obsession. All in all it was a lovely visit with a charming Theo. Thanks to the Mohs for letting us spoil their kid a bit. 

Crab Au Gratin. https://howtofeedaloon.com/jumbo-lump-crab-au-gratin/  Original recipe link. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 celery rib finely chopped
• 2 tbsp green onionssliced, save some for garnish
• 1 cloves garlic minced
• 2 large egg yolks slightly beaten
• 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheesegrated
• 1/2 cup Fontina cheesegrated
• 1 lb lump crab meatpicked over for shells and cartilage

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, celery, green onions (white parts), and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and evaporated milk together in a small bowl until well blended; set aside.
• Add the flour to the skillet, and blend well into the vegetables to create a white roux; be sure to not let the flour brown. About 2 minutes.
• Using a whisk, add the milk mixture, stirring constantly to blend into the roux mixture.
• Stir in the lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, cayenne, and black pepper, and continue to stir for another 4 - 5 minutes. (if sauce seems too thick, add a little water or milk to thin...should be the consistency of thick creamed soup).
• Remove from the heat, and fold in half the cheese; blend until it is totally melted and fully incorporated.
• Gently divide the crab meat among four mini oven-proof casseroles, or iron serving dishes; trying not to break up the crab lumps. Or, pour into 1 large cast iron skillet, or 8"x8" baking dish.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the crab, and then sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese on top.
• Bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes, then reset the oven for broil, and broil until the cheese begins to brown, about 5 minutes (keep an eye on this...don't let it burn!!).
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the green onions (green parts), and serve at once!
  
  
  Notes: I used picked dungeness on hand with 1/2 pound bay scallops that I sautéed before hand. I only made half a recipe in a 8 inch iron skillet. Served with toasted French slices but equally good with sturdy corn chips.