Today I am thinking about my mother, Mary Loraine Peets Buffett and some of her most favorite things. If there’s any one dish that I most associate with Peets, it is West Indies Salad. As jumbo lump blue crabmeat is the main ingredient, it’s one of the easiest delicacies that I know of. It’s also a quirky recipe because the ice cubes which seem to be inconsequential actually make the salad taste the way it’s supposed to. West Indies is a sure-thing crowd pleaser. Folks who are eating light or otherwise find it most satisfying. If you’re from Mobile, Alabama it is also a one of the great prides of the city – for having originated there in the 1940’s. My mother, a long-time Mobilian, made West Indies whenever my brother and sister would come home from their adventurous far-flung lives. It soon became Peets’ most requested dish for which she became famous for as she made it for Jimmy’s whole touring crew whenever they came for a hometown show. West Indies was the first course served at the infamous “Mama’s 80th Birthday” dinner party at the original LuLu’s nearly 16 years ago (the whole menu with recipes is in my first cookbook). That was an unforgettable night!
My mother kept a philosophy of keeping things simple while truly enjoying the good things in life. She was metaphorically like this quintessentially southern delight – easy, cool – equal parts elegant and casual.
WEST INDIES SALADSalt to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
2. Cover crab with a layer of onion.
3. Repeat steps with remaining crab, salt, pepper, and onion.
4. Pour oil and vinegar over layers.
5. Place ice cubes in a liquid measuring cup. Fill with water until volume reaches a third a cup and pour over crab.
6. Cover and marinate for at least two hours before serving.
7. When ready to serve, shake bowl gently, or if using a leak proof plastic container, turned up side down and back up right to gently mix salad.
8. Serve in a shallow bowl with juice.
