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Spicy Crab Dip

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"Some chefs choose their profession because they grew up in a house steeped in good food and cooking. Other chefs cook in reaction to bad cooking or limited variety. I would say I am a mix of both types. There were a number of things my mom didn't cook when I was growing up. Basically, if my dad didn't like it, we didn't eat it! I never had fresh chiles until my late teens. Green bean casserole at Thanksgiving? Never heard of it. Guacamole was something I had eaten only a handful of times (and never at home). In fact, my mom, who famously made all kinds of delicious dishes from the cookbooks she was editing, never made dips, either. It probably explains my midlife obsession with them. I also really like to maximize an expensive ingredient like crab, and dip is one smart (and tasty) way to go about it. Buy the best crabmeat you have access to; it's front and center in this dish, and spending the extra money is worth it. I love jumbo lump crabmeat when I can get it. This dip is spicy, but you can tone that down if you want: just omit the cayenne, Tabasco, and jalapeño. You will need a 1-quart baking dish (any shape) for this."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 4 scallions (green and white parts), thinly sliced
â—¦ 2 large cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ Kosher salt
â—¦ 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Tabasco
â—¦ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 10 ounces cooked fresh crabmeat, picked free of any shells
â—¦ 1 large lemon, cut into wedges
â—¦ 1 sleeve butter crackers (35 to 40 crackers)


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a small sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the scallions and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Add a splash of water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions and garlic become tender without becoming overly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. When the water is cooked out and the scallions are translucent, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Tabasco, cayenne, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Put the crabmeat in a medium bowl and season it with a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice; then gently stir the crabmeat into the dip. Spoon the dip into a 1-quart (4-cup) baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the dip is warmed through, 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges over the top and serve warm, with the crackers alongside.

Serves 4 to 6