Martha Stewart’s Hot Crab Dip

Shortly after volunteering to bring baked fontina to a casual New Year’s Eve gathering with the neighbors, fear of becoming a one-trick pony sent me back to the drawing board.

So I scoured my favorite hors d’oeuvres cookbooks and files and pulled out a recipe — Martha Stewart’s hot crab dip — I have been meaning to make since last February when I read The Wednesday Chef describe it as the “number one most delicious thing [she] made over the holidays.” Sounded like a winner.

Over the weekend, I discovered it was. It’s a snap to assemble — sauté shallots in butter, add spices, half-and-half and cream cheese, fold in crab — and it cooks in 20 minutes. I baked off a third of the mixture for Ben and me for lunch, and when that little cazuela emerged from the oven, cheese bubbling through a paprika-speckled surface, we attacked it with crackers, bread and a squeeze more lemon.

Sure, hot crab dip is old fashioned, rich and creamy, spiced with Old Bay and Worcestershire, but it also couldn’t be more festive or delicious: piping hot, loaded with crab, spiced with just enough cayenne to keep you reaching for more. I have no doubt my neighbors will approve of my new party trick.

Friends, I can’t believe another year has passed. Here’s to being many-trick ponies in 2015. Happy New Year, Everyone.

Description

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1¾ cups )
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ -inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• bread, crackers, toast points for serving
• extra lemon for serving, optional (I like a little extra)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the cayenne, Old Bay, and dry mustard until well combined.
2. Pour half-and-half into saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cream cheese, a few pieces at a time. When the cream cheese is fully incorporated, whisk in the cheddar cheese, a handful at a time. Stir the mixture for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce; stir to combine. Stir in crabmeat and half of the parsley. Transfer mixture to an ovenproof baking dish.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. In a small bowl, toss bread with the butter, remaining parsley, and paprika. Season with salt. Spread bread mix over crab and bake until bread layer is golden and dip is hot, 18 to 22 minutes — depending on your vessel, it might take less or more time. Once it is bubbly and beginning to look golden, it’s done. Serve with bread and extra lemon if using.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Description

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1¾ cups )
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ -inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• bread, crackers, toast points for serving
• extra lemon for serving, optional (I like a little extra)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the cayenne, Old Bay, and dry mustard until well combined.
2. Pour half-and-half into saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cream cheese, a few pieces at a time. When the cream cheese is fully incorporated, whisk in the cheddar cheese, a handful at a time. Stir the mixture for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce; stir to combine. Stir in crabmeat and half of the parsley. Transfer mixture to an ovenproof baking dish.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. In a small bowl, toss bread with the butter, remaining parsley, and paprika. Season with salt. Spread bread mix over crab and bake until bread layer is golden and dip is hot, 18 to 22 minutes — depending on your vessel, it might take less or more time. Once it is bubbly and beginning to look golden, it’s done. Serve with bread and extra lemon if using.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/12/30/hot-crab-dip-ideas-new-years-eve/

Description

Notes: The original dough recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon salt. I up this to 2 teaspoons, which seems like a lot, but my general rule of thumb for baking is 1 teaspoon kosher salt for every 2 cups of flour.

Cardamom: I omitted entirely, which maybe makes this entirely unSwedish, but I’ve overdone cardamom in the past and still haven’t recovered. Add cardamom as you wish.

Pearl sugar. This recipe calls for Swedish pearl sugar , which is not what is pictured here. I used Belgian pearl sugar , which is much larger and intended for liege waffles. The pearl sugar adds a nice, festive, tasty touch, but if you don’t have any, you can make a simple glaze with milk and confectioners’ sugar.

• for the dough:
• 7 tbsp . unsalted butter
• 1½ cups whole milk, heated to 115°
• 2 tsp . active dry yeast
• 4½ cups (about 574 g ) flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp . cardamom seeds, lightly crushed (optional, see notes)
• 2 tsp . kosher salt (see notes)
• for the filling and topping:
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 7 tbsp . unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp . ground cinnamon (I used 2 teaspoons )
• 1½ tsp . cardamom seeds, finely crushed (optional, see notes)
• 1 egg, beaten
• pearl sugar, for topping (optional, see notes above)

1. Make the dough: Melt butter in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat (or use the microwave). Remove from heat and stir in milk and yeast; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Stir in yeast mixture until dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead very briefly, about 3 minutes, adding minimal flour, until smooth and elastic. Return dough to bowl and cover with a clean dish towel; let sit in a warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2. Make the filling: Mix granulated sugar, butter, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl until smooth.
3. To make one large loaf: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 11 x 17-inch rectangle, about ¼-inch thick. Spread filling over dough, leaving a ½-inch border along edges. Working from one long end, roll dough into a tight cylinder; transfer seam side down to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with dish towel; let sit in a warm place until dough has doubled in size once more, about 45 minutes.
4. To make two loaves (one of which you can refrigerate) instead of one: Roll dough into an 11 x 17-inch rectangle, about ¼-inch thick. Cut in half to make two 11 x 8.5-inch rectangles. Divide filling among each half leaving a ½-inch border along edges. Working from one SHORT end, roll dough into a tight cylinder; transfer seam side down to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (I double up on the baking sheets to prevent burning on the bottom of the loaf.) If you want to save one of the loaves for later, cover it with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for no more than a day. Cover remaining loaf with dish towel or plastic wrap; let sit in a warm place until dough has doubled in size once more, about 45 minutes.
5. Bake the bread: Heat oven to 375°. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife and starting 1-inch from ends of dough, make crosswise cuts, spaced 1-inch apart, three-quarters of the way through dough. Fan dough slices away from the center, alternating left to right. Brush dough with egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar; bake until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Let bread cool completely before serving.
6. Note: To bake loaf that has been refrigerated, remove it from fridge at least an hour before you plan on baking it — it will take longer to come to room temperature. Then proceed with recipe.