Shrimp Louie
This festive main-course salad has been a West Coast classic for more than a century, yet it has fallen out of fashion. At our house, it never went away: It’s forever on our summer dinner rotation. It’s also wonderful for a special brunch. It can be composed — with the components prettily arranged on a platter or in bowls — or tossed.
If you make the shrimp and boil the eggs in advance, it comes together in no-time flat. It’s also nice to have the shrimps chilled, though we don’t usually bother. Original versions apparently did not include avocado — a nice addition, if you’re in the mood.
Serves two.
Ingredients
For the Louis dressing
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
For the salad
1/2 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves washed and dried and larger ones torn, or about 4 ounces of spring mix
1 medium ripe tomato, cut into wedges or 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
1 Persian cucumber, sliced or 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and sliced (optional)
3 radishes, sliced (optional)
1/2 avocado, sliced (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving
Louis Dressing
Instructions
1. Make the Louis dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, Worsestershire sauce, horseradish or Tabasco and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should taste like a lemony version of Thousand Island. (This makes about 1/2 cup dressing — probably more than you’ll use, but better too much than too little.)
2. Cook the shrimp by dropping them in well-salted water until they’re opaque and cooked through, just a minute or two. Drain and run cold water on them to stop the cooking. (Chill the shrimp in a covered container if you’re not going to make the salad right away.)
3. Arrange the lettuce on two plates. Arrange half the tomatoes on each, along with two egg quarters, half the cucumber, sliced radish and avocado (if using), and half the shrimp. Grind some black pepper over all. Garnish with lemon wedges, and serve with the dressing on the side to spoon over.
Shrimp Louie
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
- 1/2 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves washed and dried and larger ones torn, or about 4 ounces of spring mix
- 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into wedges or 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 Persian cucumber, sliced or 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and sliced (optional)
- 3 radishes, sliced (optional)
- 1/2 avocado, sliced (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Louis Dressing
Instructions
- Make the Louis Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, Worsestershire sauce, horseradish or Tabasco and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should taste like a lemony version of Thousand Island. (This makes about 1/2 cup dressing — probably more than you’ll use, but better too much than too little.)
- Cook the shrimp by dropping them in well-salted water until they’re opaque and cooked through, just a minute or two. Drain and run cold water on them to stop the cooking. (Chill the shrimp in a covered container if you’re not going to make the salad right away.)
- Arrange the lettuce on two plates. Arrange half the tomatoes on each, along with two egg quarters, half the cucumber, sliced radish and avocado (if using), and half the shrimp. Grind some black pepper over all. Garnish with lemon wedges, and serve with the dressing on the side to spoon over.
