Hot and Spicy Crabmeat Dip

Like millions of other American football fans, SB and I gathered with friends around the television set to watch Super Bowl XLVII. Before all the action on the field began, though, the cooks brought out the tailgate dinner ... my contribution was a hot crabmeat dip. Easy, spicy, and full of crabmeat!
It was served with gluten-free almond crackers.

Now about that lemon in the picture ... my friend Leah gave us her lemon tree to care for, while she jaunts around the country working in ICU units as a travelling nurse. Leah came home for the weekend, so she was at last evening's party. I surprised her with the one and only fresh lemon that I have been able to keep on her lemon tree. It IS a beauty and we did debate whether we should slice into it and drizzle the juices over the crabmeat dip as we scooped it onto crackers, but I urged her to save it for a nice slice of salmon and perhaps a batch of lemon scones. It was enough for me to present her with a bit of sunshine, as she never thought we'd get anything from her tree up here in the northern wintertime wastes of New Hampshire! Besides, the tree has just finished blossoming and there are at least three new lemons that have 'set' from the blossoms! We'll see if I can get those 'little green footballs' to mature!


Here is the dip recipe that I used. It was really delicious - full of crabmeat flavour and not too cheesey. The toasted almonds and veg were a nice addition to the dip, adding just a bit of crunch.
The dip travelled well, also. A few minutes in the microwave and it was just as it had come from the oven - bubbly and aromatic.

Hot and Spicy Crabmeat Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz. crabmeat – I used canned pasteurized crabmeat claws, drained and broken up

½ c. slivered almonds, toasted and divided
1 tsp. unsalted butter
½ c. minced yellow onion
½ c. minced celery
2 tsp. minced garlic
½ c. minced fresh parsley, divided
½ c. sliced scallions, greens and whites, divided
1 heaping teaspoon of hot Thai chili garlic sauce
8 oz. Neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)
½ c. light sour cream
¼ c. good mayonnaise
¼ c. Sauvignon blanc wine (or a good white wine of your choice)
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
¾ c. freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

 

Making the Dip:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Toast the almonds in a dry fry pan until gold and fragrant, turn them out into a bowl and let them cool.
3. Place the butter, onion and celery in the hot fry pan and sweat them for a couple minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Beat the Neufchatel, sour cream, and mayo in a deep mixing bowl until smooth and silky. Add the wine, half the parsley, half the scallions, Kosher salt, black pepper, Thai chili sauce, and cooked vegetables. Mix by hand until everything is incorporated.
5. Turn the drained crabmeat, ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese and ¼ c. of the almonds into this mixture and fold in gently until the crabmeat, cheese and nuts are uniformly distributed.
6. Turn the dip into a mid-sized shallow casserole. Sprinkle the top of the dip with the rest of the parsley and scallions, the last ¼ c. of Parmesan cheese and the last ¼ c. of almonds. Sprinkle on a bit of sweet paprika.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until the dip is bubbly around the edges and golden brown on the top.
8. Let the dip rest for a few minutes before serving, as it is really hot and give folks a blister if gobbled right a way! Serve with sturdy crackers or baguette toasts.