Louie Recipe

Cook shellfish

In a large wide skillet or saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and garlic and sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Pour in 1/4 cup dry white wine and bring to a gentle simmer. Add clams and mussels, cover, and steam 3–5 minutes until shells open. Remove opened clams and mussels with a slotted spoon into a bowl and reserve cooking liquid. Discard any that do not open.

Poach prawns and scallops

Add the peeled Mexican prawns and scallops to the reserved cooking liquid (add extra cold seafood or clam juice if needed to have about 1 cup of liquid). Gently poach over low simmer 2–3 minutes until prawns are just opaque and scallops are firm but tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and chill immediately in an ice bath to stop cooking. Reserve liquid to use in the creamy sea broth.

Prepare shrimp and salmon

If using pre-cooked shrimp, ensure they are chilled and tails trimmed. Cube the sashimi-grade salmon into 1/2" pieces and chill. Remove picked Dungeness crab meat from shells, check for shells, and keep chilled.

In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay (or seafood seasoning), 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional), 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce (optional), and a pinch (1/4 tsp) black pepper. This is the louie dressing base; taste and adjust salt, acid, or horseradish to preference. Chill until ready to serve.

For the creamy sea broth: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add a splash (about 1/4 cup) of the reserved clam/mussel/prawn poaching liquid plus up to 3/4 cup cold seafood or clam juice to total about 1 cup liquid. Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream and warm gently—do not boil—until slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika for depth. If you desire a more intense ocean flavor, blend in 1–2 teaspoons of the louie dressing and whisk to combine. Keep warm at low heat until plating.

Tear 6 cups of chilled romaine or butter lettuce into salad-size pieces and distribute across serving plates or a large chilled bowl as the base.

Slice the avocado and toss lightly with a squeeze of lemon to prevent browning. Quarter the hard-boiled eggs. Cut the tomato into wedges and the cucumber into half-moons. Arrange avocado slices, egg quarters, tomato wedges, and cucumber slices attractively around the lettuce base.

Arrange the seafood on top of the salad base: place the Dungeness crab meat in one cluster, a small mound of chilled prawns in another, scatter the pre-cooked shrimp, spoon the poached scallops and the chilled clams and mussels around the plate, and add the salmon cubes as sashimi-style bites. Sprinkle with snipped chives.

Drizzle louie dressing over the assembled salad lightly (reserve extra on the side for guests). Alternatively, serve the louie dressing in a small pitcher for pouring at the table.

Ladle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the warm creamy sea broth around the salad or serve it in small bowls alongside for sipping; the broth should be warm, not boiling, to complement the chilled seafood.

Garnish with a dusting of smoked paprika, a pinch of chili flakes if desired, a grind of cracked black pepper, and lemon wedges on the side. Serve immediately so chilled components remain cold and the broth is warm.