Lexington Avenue Seafood Salad

A New York deli-style seafood salad that borrows the Lexington Avenue name from the old Upper East Side lunch counters where seafood salads like this one sat behind glass next to the pastrami and slaw. Baby shrimp and flaked crab meet chopped celery, peeled cucumber, cooked peas, and minced onion for a cool, crunchy base.

The dressing is the kicker. Thousand Island gets thinned with plain yogurt (which cuts the usual mayo heaviness and adds tang), then punched up with horseradish, lemon juice, and a pinch of dried marjoram. That horseradish is the essential note. Half a New York cook’s trick for brightening seafood salad is a teaspoon of prepared white horseradish stirred into the dressing; it sharpens the shellfish without reading spicy.

Marjoram is the other quiet addition. A close cousin of oregano but sweeter and softer, it pairs well with delicate seafood in a way that most herb-dressed salads miss. Dried works fine here since the flavor bloom happens as the salad sits a few minutes before serving. Plate the salad on lettuce leaves for a classic deli presentation.

Kitchen Tips

• Use real crab meat (lump or claw), not imitation. Imitation crab tastes sweet and rubbery against the shrimp and kills the balance.
• Drain the shrimp thoroughly on paper towels after cooking. Extra liquid waters down the dressing.
• Peel the cucumber and seed it if you have a spare minute. Cucumber seeds and skin add too much moisture to a creamy dressed salad.
• Toss just before serving. Letting it sit more than 30 minutes makes the vegetables go soft and the dressing watery.

Variations

• Swap Thousand Island for light mayonnaise thinned with yogurt if you prefer a cleaner flavor.
• Add a few diced pickles or capers for extra brine and crunch.
• Serve stuffed in ripe tomatoes or avocado halves for a composed lunch plate.