Shaw’s Signature Chopped Seafood Salad
Recipe by Shaw’s Crab House
In honor of its 40th Anniversary, Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago’s River North is sharing the recipe for the iconic Shaw’s Signature Chopped Seafood Salad. Created by late partner Sara Rowe more than 20 years ago on a mission for the seafood institution to serve the “best chopped salad in the business,” this bright, satisfying, entree-sized dish is packed with snow crab, lobster and jumbo shrimp, and tossed with a combination of house-made dressings that pull together all of the vibrant flavors in every bite.
Shaw’s Signature Chopped Seafood Salad
An iconic, flavor-packed combo of crab, lobster and shrimp
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
FOR SALAD
½-¾ lbs. snow crab; deshelled (Bairdi Snow Crab recommended)
12 extra jumbo shrimp
2 4-5-oz. cold water lobster tails
1 lemon, halved
¼ cup kosher salt
1 head Napa cabbage, cut in half, sliced into ¼-inch ribbons
1 head Iceberg lettuce, sliced into ½-inch pieces
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 small cucumber, washed, peeled, seeded, cut into ½-inch dice (about ½ cup)
6 green onions, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about ¼ cup) (separate whites from greens; reserve whites for another use)
½ cup medium pitted black olives, sliced (or 3.8 oz. can sliced black olives)
½ cup hearts of palm, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about ¼ of a 14 oz. can)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
¾ cup Chopped Salad dressing (sub recipe below)
1 cup Louie dressing (sub recipe below)
1 avocado, quartered
4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
FOR LOUIE DRESSING
¼ cup celery, diced ¼-inch x ¼-inch
1 Tbsp. minced chives
1 Tbsp. green onions, diced ¼-inch
¼ cup sweet relish
2 cups mayonnaise
½ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Cognac
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
FOR CHOPPED SALAD DRESSING
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. water
1 ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups corn oil
Method:
1. To make Louie dressing, combine all ingredients, mix well and reserve.
2. To make Chopped Salad dressing, combine all ingredients together in a blender except corn oil. Slowly drizzle in corn oil, taste for seasoning and reserve.
3. Using scissors, extract the meat from the snow crab. Reserve.
4. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add kosher salt and squeeze juice from each lemon half into the water.
5. Prepare a bowl of water and ice bath to shock seafood.
6. Boil whole lobster tails for 5 minutes, remove, and shock in ice bath.
7. Cook shrimp for 3 minutes, remove and shock in ice bath.
8. Remove lobster meat from shells and dice into ½-inch pieces. Reserve.
9. Remove shells from shrimp, devein and cut lengthwise. Reserve.
10. Combine chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, black olives and hearts of palm in a large bowl and lightly season with salt and pepper.
11. Add Chopped Salad dressing and gently toss.
12. Plate into four equal salads, garnishing each salad with equal portions of sliced avocado, hard-boiled egg and reserved seafood.
13. Serve each salad with ¼ cup Louie dressing on the side.
