Name: Chili Crab Dip With Shrimp Chips
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes about 2½ cups
Ingredients: 2 medium shallots, quartered; 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed, cut into a few pieces; 1 3–4" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped; 1 serrano chile, preferably starting to turn orange, halved, seeds removed if desired; 4 medium garlic cloves; 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste; 1 tsp. sugar; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature; 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise; 8 oz. claw crabmeat, picked over; 3 medium scallions, finely chopped; ½ large bunch cilantro, tough stems discarded, leaves and tender stems finely chopped; 2 Tbsp. store-bought fried shallots or garlic (optional); Shrimp chips (such as Dandy’s or Shrimp Snacks) or Ritz crackers (for serving)

Chili Crab Dip with Shrimp Chips on a platter.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

Inspired by chili crab, an aromatic and spicy tomato-based Singaporean seafood braise, this crab dip gets a little sweetness from tomato paste and dynamic flavor from shallots, garlic, and ginger. The heat comes from a serrano chile—I like to leave in half the seeds to give the dip a vibrant tingle that doesn’t mask the sweet crab flavor, but if you want something a little more mild you can remove the seeds completely. (Love to keep things fiery? Leave all the seeds in.)

Scoop-style shrimp chips make the perfect vehicle for moving dip to mouth. They’re crispy but light and have a salty-savory-sweetness that really amplifies the flavors in the dip. I like to top this dip with a veritable heap of herbs—truly, it may seem like too much. But when piled on they lend a ton of freshness and will keep you coming back for more.