Crab Louie
Encyclopedia
Crab Louie salad, also known as Crab Louis Salad or the King of Salads, is a type of salad
featuring crab
meat. The original recipe dates back to the early 1900s and originates on the West Coast of America
.
.
By some accounts it was created by entrepreneur Louis Davenport
, founder of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington
. Davenport spent his early years in San Francisco before moving to Spokane Falls. He would use crab imported from Seattle to be offered hotel. His recipe pre-dates 1914 and can be found in hotel historical menus. The popularity of Crab Louie has diminished since its heyday in the early to mid 1900's, but it can still be found on the menu of some hotels and restaurants on the West Coast, including the Palace Hotel in San Francisco
and the Davenport Hotel.
, but other crab meat can be substituted. Although variations of the recipe exist, an essential ingredient is a seafood dressing such as Crab Louie dressing, Thousand Island dressing or green goddess dressing. This dressing is either served on the side or mixed with the other ingredients, depending on which recipe is used.
A typical Crab Louie salad consists of :
Other ingredients such as olives and green onions
have also been listed as ingredients in some recipes.
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
featuring crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
meat. The original recipe dates back to the early 1900s and originates on the West Coast of America
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
History
The exact origins of the dish are uncertain, but it is known that Crab Louie was being served in San Francisco, at Solari's, as early as 1904. A recipe for Crab Louie exists from this date in a publication entitled Bohemian San Francisco by Clarence E. Edwords, and in the 1910 edition of a cookbook by Victor Hertzler, head chef of the city's St. Francis HotelSt. Francis Hotel
The Westin St. Francis is a historic luxury hotel located on Powell and Geary Streets on Union Square in San Francisco, California. The two twelve-story south wings of the hotel were built just before the San Francisco Earthquake, in 1904, and the double-width north wing was completed in 1913,...
.
By some accounts it was created by entrepreneur Louis Davenport
Louis Davenport
Llewellyn Marks "Louis" Davenport was a Spokane, Washington businessman best known for establishing the Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane.-Life and career:...
, founder of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. Davenport spent his early years in San Francisco before moving to Spokane Falls. He would use crab imported from Seattle to be offered hotel. His recipe pre-dates 1914 and can be found in hotel historical menus. The popularity of Crab Louie has diminished since its heyday in the early to mid 1900's, but it can still be found on the menu of some hotels and restaurants on the West Coast, including the Palace Hotel in San Francisco
Palace Hotel, San Francisco
The Palace Hotel is a landmark historic hotel in San Francisco, California, located at the SW corner of Market and New Montgomery streets. Also referred to as the "New" Palace Hotel to distinguish it from the original 1875 Palace Hotel that it was built to replace, the present...
and the Davenport Hotel.
Ingredients
The main ingredient for Crab Louie, as the names suggests, is crab meat. The preferred crab is Dungeness CrabDungeness crab
The Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister , is a species of crab that inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms on the west coast of North America. It typically grows to across the carapace and is a popular seafood...
, but other crab meat can be substituted. Although variations of the recipe exist, an essential ingredient is a seafood dressing such as Crab Louie dressing, Thousand Island dressing or green goddess dressing. This dressing is either served on the side or mixed with the other ingredients, depending on which recipe is used.
A typical Crab Louie salad consists of :
- CrabCrabTrue crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
meat, - Hard boiled eggs,
- TomatoTomatoThe word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, - AsparagusAsparagusAsparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
, - CucumberCucumberThe cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, - served on a bed of Romaine lettuceRomaine lettuceRomaine or cos lettuce is a variety of lettuce which grows in a tall head of sturdy leaves with a firm rib down the center. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat...
- with a Louie dressingLouis dressingLouis dressing is a salad dressing based on mayonnaise, to which has been added red chili sauce, minced green onions, and minced green chili peppers. It is commonly used as a dressing for salads featuring seafood, such as a Crab or Shrimp Louis.The origin of the dressing is disputed...
based on mayonnaiseMayonnaiseMayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
, chili sauceChili sauceChili sauce is a condiment, similar to ketchup but with onion, garlic, and spice. Despite its name, it does not contain chili peppers and thus is not hot....
and peppers on the side.
Other ingredients such as olives and green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
have also been listed as ingredients in some recipes.