The key to this dish is the fresh king crab, which is worth the effort. Here is how to make the perfect King Crab Dip and Crudités.
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15–30 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. fresh king crab, in shell
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Meyer lemon
4-6 shallots, depending upon taste, finely chopped
2 sticks Neufchatel cream cheese
1/2 container low-fat sour cream
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Fleur de sel
10 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Chives
2 tablespoons butter
4–6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
Bread, crudités, and chips
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. To prepare the king crab, de-shell, and allow water/juices to drain well in a colander. Squeeze a quarter of the Meyer lemon on the crab. Next, in a medium-deep skillet, sauté the shallots in olive oil over medium heat for 4 minutes or until they start to brown. Add the Neufchatel cheese and blend well with the shallots. Then, add the sour cream, and continue to stir. A spatula is the best tool to use to stir the ingredients together.
Next, add the paprika and cayenne pepper to taste when the cream cheese and sour cream are blended with the shallots. When you reach your preferred spice level, add a generous sprinkle of the fleur de sel and fold in the crab and seven tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Squeeze the rest of the Meyer lemon (or the amount up to your preference of taste) into the crab mixture. You may also need to adjust the paprika and cayenne seasoning. Snip about 4–5 tablespoons of chive directly into the crab mixture.
Then, transfer the dip to an oven-proof, slightly greased flat dish. Spread the dip evenly throughout the dish. In a skillet, melt the butter, add the breadcrumbs, and stir until slightly toasted. Add in the remainder of the Parmesan cheese. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the dip. The crab dip may be refrigerated overnight if you want to prepare the dish beforehand. Alternatively, you can wait until you are ready to warm up the dip to add the breadcrumb topping.
Finally, heat the crab dip in the oven for 20–25 minutes if refrigerated overnight or 10 minutes if cooking immediately. Switch the oven to broil and allow the top to brown for 3–4 minutes. Serve immediately with fresh French bread, crudités, or even more decadently, with potato chips.
If you liked our King Crab Dip and Crudités recipe, try out:
King Crab & Fennel – The Perfect Summer Salad
