Makes 4 servingsThis popular seafood salad originated in the 1950s at Bayley’s Steak House in south Alabama. Shelly Collins of Durham, North Carolina, was introduced to it at the home of Beth Moore in Wolf Bay, Alabama. “I treasured my time in Beth’s kitchen,” says Collins. “I was enamored with her ability to transform the food she was preparing into something special. I enjoyed watching her move about the kitchen like she was painting a masterpiece for all of us to enjoy.” For 45 years, Moore has served West Indies Salad as a starter for a seafood meal. She often plates it in small crab or seafood motif bowls with a cocktail fork. “In cooking and in life, little touches can make things special. I collect little serving dishes to use at dinner parties,” says Collins. “Beth’s style of being a hostess of a party certainly inspired me to pay attention to all the little details.”
1 medium onion (preferably Vidalia), finely chopped
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup canola oil
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup ice water
Lettuce leaves and butter crackers for serving, optional
Spread half of the onion over the bottom of a serving bowl. Check the crabmeat and pick out any bits of shell or cartilage. Spread the crabmeat over the onion. Top with the remaining onion and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Pour the oil, vinegar, and ice water in that order over the crabmeat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Toss lightly before serving in small individual bowls or on lettuce leaves accompanied by butter crackers.
Makes 4 servings