Crab Dip

Origin: Colonial cookbooks from the 18th and 19th centuries included baked or creamed crab dishes, often flavored with sherry or mustard.

The modern hot crab dip is really a descendant of those — a regional delicacy that turned into a comfort food classic, carrying a whiff of the sea and a trace of the cocktail party era.

Whether spooned onto crostini, scooped with crackers, or eaten in secret straight from the dish, it speaks the language of gatherings, of laughter, of hands reaching for more.

Ingredients

“ There are secrets in the sea, and some of them come baked in cheese.””

8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 1/2 teaspoons savory hawaij or curry powder (or substitute Old Bay seasoning)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 of a lemon, juiced

1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more, to taste

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat

How The Alchemy Happens

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, green onion, Old Bay seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.

Add ¾ cup cheddar cheese and hot sauce, mixing until smooth. Stir in crab meat.

Spread into a 9″ pie dish or similar size baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

Serve warm with slices of sourdough bread, crackers, tortilla chips, or chopped cold veggies.

Leftover crab dip will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to 5 days. Rewarm gently in the microwave before serving.