Ice-cold shrimp and chilled lump crabmeat need nothing more than a tasty dressing or two to complete a casual springtime meal. And my recipe for Chilled Seafood Salad with Two Dressings keeps it simple and light—two ingredients for an easy dinner.
Gulf shrimp and crabmeat take center stage in this classic salad combination. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Anytime Roxanne and I visit Biloxi, Mississippi, we make a beeline to our favorite old-school eatery, Mary Mahoney’s. When I say old-school, I mean it with the utmost respect for this historic restaurant that is as relevant today as it was when it opened in 1962.
On Hwy 90 in Biloxi, Mary Mahoney’s is a culinary trip back in time.
Housed in the Old French House circa 1737, I love the feel of this place: the warren of passages, the exposed Creole brick walls, the white-tablecloth attention to detail, and the tuxedoed waiters scurrying to fill glasses of sweet tea. It is a return to a genteel, Southern sensibility; it is a dining aesthetic that has been lost to the hurried pace of our chain-ravaged culinary landscape.
House in the Old French House, the restaurant is an aged beauty.
And their famous George Salad still delivers. This is not your edgy, chef-driven, artistically plated salade maison of pretentiously small portions. No, this is simplicity on a plate—piled high and reasonably priced. Gulf shrimp and white lump crabmeat are accented by a minimum of garnish. And the two dressings—a spicy rémoulade and a red wine vinaigrette—bring it all together.
When in Biloxi, make a stop at Mary Mahoney’s, and in the meantime, make my version of this salad. It will become a favorite.
- 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup Creole mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 quarts water
- 4 tablespoons liquid shrimp boil
- 2 pounds small, raw peeled Gulf shrimp
- 1 pound jumbo lump, Gulf blue crabmeat
- 2 cups spring mix lettuce greens
- 2 cups spinach leaves, stems removed
- 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
- 1 cup pitted olives
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 1 cup canned baby corn
- Old Bay seasoning
- In a mixing bowl, add the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Whisk the mixture while slowly drizzling the olive oil. When the emulsion is complete, add salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, seasoning blend, paprika, lemon juice, horseradish, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp boil seasoning. Add the raw shrimp and cook until they turn pink and are done, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Cover and chill.
- Place the crabmeat into a mixing bowl and gently pick through and discard any shell pieces. Cover and chill.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the spring mix, spinach, iceberg lettuce, and cherry tomatoes.
- On individual chilled plates, place a generous serving of the salad mixture. Mound a 4-ounce serving of lump crabmeat and a pile of boiled shrimp to either side of the salad mixture. Place hard-boiled egg, olives, lemon wedges, and canned baby corn around the salad. Lightly sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.
- Remove the dressings from the refrigerator and pour individual portions in small cups or ramekins.
A cold glass of white wine is the perfect pairing for this classic seafood salad.
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My husband and I love dining at Mary Mahoney’s. We made a special trip several months back just to have lunch. You are so right about the atmosphere. It definitely takes you back to a more genteel time and the food is still delicious and service excellent. Thank you for posting on this memorable restaurant. The salad looks devine. I’m sure yours is every bit as delicious as the one served there.
Thanks Jane – All the best.
I was looking for a seafood recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
Kate – Thanks for the feedback. All the best.
What sauce is best to use with seafood salad?
Hey Shanae-
That’s up to you. One is spicy and creamy, and the other is vinegary and tart. I say make both. All the best.
We have been customers there since the time of Mary Mahoney wearing her butterfly glasses to visit in the dining room. I have one request, you may already know it, but I “pig out” when I go there on their fried crab claws. I do not care for the other kind. I know they use cracker meal, but that is all I know. Can you help me. I am from NOLA and I have had fried crab claws in just about every restaurant there, hers are the best.
Hey Lois – I love crab claws, too, but I opt for the marinated version. Here’s my recipe for Crab Claw Sensation. If I run across a good recipe for “fried” crab claws, I will pass it on to you. All the best.
This looks so yummy! George, what’s the best time of year to find fresh lump crabmeat?
Hey Joanie- Fresh Louisiana crabmeat is most plentiful and affordable during the late spring and summer months when the weather heats up. Load up and search through the Acadiana Table website and my cookbooks for all the delicious recipes. Thanks for a great question.
So many Mary Mahoney’s stories from my youth! My favorite though involved a character building team binding ritual. I attended Notre Dame High School in Biloxi (Mercy Cross when we went co-ed), and every Friday morning during football season, the players, coaches and cheerleaders would meet at church and then head over to Mary Mahoney’s for team breakfast before classes began!
Great times in a small pre-casino industry Gulf Coast.
This plate sounds amazing. I think some boiled potatoes would pair well here, like a salade niçoise since there’s already seafood, olives, eggs, and tomatoes. This type of light meal is right up my alley.