Email to Cat      

Hot Crab Dip

Source of Recipe

From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"The cocktail-party craze of the 1950s, along with heavy promotions from commercial food producers created a perfect storm of demand, and truly turned 'dip' into a food category all its own. Today, dips are still regarded as festive party fare. Hot Crab Dip, a Chesapeake Bay invention that made good use of the local catch, is now just as likely to be served by even landlocked Americans, since crabmeat is so readily available. Fresh, buttery breadcrumbs top this version."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 ½ cups milk
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
â—¦ 4 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded (1 cup)
â—¦ Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 10 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over
â—¦ 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ ½ small (8-ounce) loaf rustic bread, crusts trimmed, torn into 1-inch pieces (1 to 2 cups)
â—¦ Assorted crackers and flatbreads, for serving


Recipe

Preheat oven to 400° F. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, 4 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour in milk in a slow, steady stream. Simmer over medium heat, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in cayenne and mustard. Gradually whisk in cheese; whisk until melted.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and juice along with Worcestershire to combine. Stir in crabmeat and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 1-quart ovenproof dish.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; stir into bread pieces.
Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bread mixture over crab dip. Bake until heated through and the topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before serving with crackers and flatbreads.

Makes 4 cups