Crab Dip

Name: Crab Dip
Yield: makes about 3 cups
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for the dish; 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature; 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise (page 282); 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons dry white wine; 2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, chervil, or tarragon); 1 pound jumbo lump or lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage; 1/2 cup fresh or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs

December 9, 2011

The Eastern seaboard—especially the Chesapeake Bay—is riddled with shallow muddy inlets of brackish water, the perfect home for blue crabs. Grades of crabmeat depend on which part of the crab the meat is from and the size of the pieces. Jumbo lump is the most expensive and is composed of the largest pieces of white body meat. Lump crab is next and is harvested from the back fin. Flake is the smallest pieces of white body meat. Claw meat is the darker meat from the claw and is the least expensive. Look for fresh or pasteurized crab in your seafood department and avoid the canned, shelf-stable product. Serve this dip with water crackers or toasted slices of baguette.

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