MRS. MCKEE’S CRAB SALAD

From 1890:

There is an old Spanish saying that it takes four persons to make a good salad. “A spendthrift must pour the oil and a miser the vinegar, a barrister must sprinkle the salt and a madman must stir the mixture.” Mrs Robert McKee, the daughter of the President gives the ingredients of a good salad, but the cook who will make it properly must be guided by the proverb.

Boil one dozen crabs thirty minutes adding a little salt to the water. When cold pick out the meat. Make a mayonnaise dressing as follows: Beat the yolks of two eggs, add pepper salt and mustard, and mix well together. Then slowly add half a pint of olive oil or enough to thicken the dressing. If too thick add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar. Great care should be exercised in pouring the oil, as it will curdle if poured too fast. Now mix the crab meat and the mayonnaise together.
Garnish a dish with crisp lettuce leaves or water cresses, place the crabs in the centre and serve.