Holiday Hot Crab** Dip by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
December 24, 2022
This recipe is party-sized. Use a shallow, wide 2-quart casserole or baking dish and heat the prepared dip until piping hot and crunchy-brown on top. Serve with lots of toasted pita chips or crispy wontons or sturdy potato chips. And spoons and small plates would not be out of place at all!
**Made with ‘Imitation Crab’ or Surimi Seafood. Both are made with wild Alaska pollock.
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Yields: Serves a Holiday Party of 10-12 (along with other appetizers)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon softened butter for coating the baking dish
16-18 ounces imitation crab or Surimi Seafood, flake-style
3-4 scallions, washed dried and separated (white and green)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Kosher salt, a pinch to taste, ‘here and there’
Optional: 2-3 tablespoons of crispy crumbled and chopped bacon (from 3-4 strips raw bacon)
1 Tablespoon Korean Gochujang paste
1 Tablespoon white miso paste
1-poound (16 ounces) plain cream cheese, softened and at room temperature
2-cups sour cream
Juice and grated rind of half a fresh lime
1 cup/4 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup/4 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided in half (2x.5 cups each)
2 tablespoons, plus more to taste, Sriracha sauce
1 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Choose a large, shallow, 2-quart baking/casserole dish. Liberally butter the bottom and the sides. Set aside.
Wash and dry the scallions. Separate the white and green parts. Finally chop each ‘color’ and keep it separate. Set aside.
If using, sauté the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble and finely chop when cool enough to handle. Measure 2-3 tablespoons and set aside.
Place a small non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and add the tablespoon of olive oil. Add the scallion whites and the granulated garlic. Cook over gentle heat for 1-2 minutes or until softened.
Remove from heat and mix in the Gochujang and Miso pastes until completely combined. Set aside.
Empty the package(s) of the imitation crab into a large bowl. Using two forks or your clean
and/or gloved hands***, gently shred the crab into flakes. Mix in the cooled sauteed scallion
whites with the miso and gochujang pastes. Gently mix to combine. Add 1 cup of shredded
Monterey jack cheese and gently combine. Add ½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar as well
and mix to combine. Set aside.
*** This is the ‘time & place’ for me to remind you to purchase a box of disposable gloves available in your kitchen. Soooo helpful for a multitude of tasks and for keeping your preparations ‘food safe’.
Put the 2-packages/1-pound of cream cheese into the bowl of the food processor. Process to soften and whip air into it. Add the 2-cups of sour cream and pulse the machine on-and-off until just combined. Add a pinch of kosher salt and pulse again.
Scrape this cream cheese-sour cream mixture into the bowl with the crabmeat. Use a big spoon or spatula to fold and combine everything. Add most of the remaining scallion greens, saving a tablespoon to garnish after cooking. Now add the Sriracha sauce, the grated lime rind and some fresh lime juice. Stir to blend and combine. Taste and adjust seasoning (don’t worry, the imitation crab is fully cooked).
Spoon the finished crab dip into the prepared casserole dish.
In another bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining ½ cup of shredded white cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the panko-cheese mixture over the top of the baking dish. Bake in your pre-heated oven for 25-35 minutes or until bubbly, browned and piping hot. And turn the pan once during baking.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with the remaining chopped scallions.
Serve with crispy chips or crackers of your choice.
