Mr. Bayley's West Indies Salad

Recipewrestler's Note:

This salad is the quintessential regional dish of the Lower Alabama Gulf Coast area. It was invented by the late Bill Bayley, who owned a steak and seafood restaurant of good repute. It must be prepared exactly as directed, with careful layering. Use the coldest ice water you can find in the recipe. The longer this one marinates, the better. The recipe sounds simple, but the results are indescribably delicious. This well-guarded recipe was finally published in 1964 in the Junior League of Mobile cookbook, Recipe Jubilee. Cooking time refers to time needed to marinate (2-12 hours).

• Total Time: 12 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 12 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 medium onion , chopped fine
• 1 lb fresh lump crabmeat
• 4 ounces Wesson Oil
• 3 ounces cider vinegar
• 4 ounces ice water (as cold as you can get it)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Follow these instructions to the letter!
2. Spread half of onion over bottom of large bowl.
3. Cover with separated crab lumps.
4. Add the remaining onion.
5. Salt and pepper.
6. Pour oil, vinegar and ice water over all.
7. Cover and marinate 2-12 hours.
8. Toss lightly before serving.
9. Serve as a"salad" on a bed of lettuce or on crackers as an appetizer.
10. Variation: Substitute royal red shrimp for the crabmeat.

Reviews

[Mister Pete]

I grew up in Enterprise Alabama and the Bayleys had a steak and seafood restaurant there in the '60s and '70s. This dish was featured and I had it many times. This looks like the real recipe. I recall that they had a restaurant in Mobile and maybe Pascagoula.

[gulfcoastgourmet]

This is very close to the recipe that was featured in Gulf Coast Gourmet, published in 1961. That recipe says nothing about red onions, but that's not too important. As the Gulf Coast Gourmet recipe says -- do not substitute ingredients, as result will not be the same!

[jspencemead]

For the original recipe (my mom got it directly from the bayley's) use red onion and mazola corn oil instead of wesson.