Created by Alabama restaurateur Bill Bayley in 1947, this delicious, easy-to-make crab salad has long been popular throughout Mobile—our version came from Wintzell’s Oyster House.
West Indies Salad
Despite its exotic name, this simple crab salad was invented in Mobile, Alabama, in 1947.
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled
- 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, well picked over
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 6 tbsp. cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop onion. Spread half of the onions in the bottom of a medium mixing bowl. Arrange crabmeat on top of chopped onions, then cover with remaining onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour oil, vinegar, and 1⁄2 cup ice-cold water over salad. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Toss lightly before serving.