Seafood Salad Recipe

Prepare bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or use a skillet. Arrange bacon strips on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or on a skillet. Bake for 12–18 minutes until crisp (or cook in skillet turning occasionally) until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, then roughly chop into bite-size pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat if desired for extra flavor in dressing.

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. When boiling, cover the pot, remove from heat and let sit 10–12 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter or slice.

Prepare seafood

If shrimp, lobster and crab are not already chilled, rinse and pat dry. Chop lobster into 1/2-inch pieces and pick over crab meat to remove shells. Gently fold shrimp, lobster and crab together in a bowl. Season lightly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a squeeze of lemon to brighten.

Quick-pickle the shallot: place thinly sliced shallot in a small bowl. Stir together apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until dissolved. Pour over shallots and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (can refrigerate up to 2 hours). Drain before using, reserving a teaspoon of the pickling liquid for the dressing if you like added brightness.

Make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and (optionally) 1 teaspoon pickling liquid from the shallots. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more lemon for brightness or a pinch more salt as needed.

Prepare produce: halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern and scoop out slices or cubes. Toss mixed greens lightly with a teaspoon of dressing if using a greens bed.

Combine salad: gently fold the seafood mixture with 2 tablespoons of dressing until evenly coated (reserve remaining dressing). On a platter or individual plates arrange a bed of greens (optional). Distribute the dressed seafood over the greens or plate directly. Scatter halved tomatoes, avocado pieces, quartered hard-boiled egg, pickled shallots and chopped bacon over the seafood.

Finish & serve: drizzle remaining dressing over the assembled salad as needed. Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley and a pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for extra acidity.