Hot Crab Dip From Joyce Kohl

This is a 1970s cocktail-party classic, the kind of crab dip that lived in chafing dishes at every Christmas open house in America. Five ingredients, no breadcrumbs, no cheese-melting-into-cheese-melting routine. Just cream cheese, crab meat, half-and-half, lemon juice, and a hit of Worcestershire sauce warmed together until silky.

The Worcestershire is the small detail doing big flavor work. Just 1½ teaspoons gives the dip its tangy, savory backbone and keeps the cream cheese from tasting flat. Skip it and the dip falls into bland territory. Use it and the lemon and crab really come forward.

Use the best crab you can afford. Lump or jumbo lump from the seafood counter is worth the splurge here, since there are not many flavors to hide behind. Imitation crab works if budget is tight, but it changes the dish into something else.

Gently is the operative word for combining. Fold the crab in last with a spatula, not the mixer. Lump meat is what you want to taste, not crab paste, so keep those big flakes intact.

Kitchen Tips

• Soften the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing, otherwise you fight lumps the whole time. 30 minutes on the counter is enough.
• Pick through the crab meat for shell fragments before adding. Even high-quality lump crab can hide a stray bit, and biting one is the surest way to ruin a party.
• Heat gently in a double boiler or low oven (300°F / 150°C) until just hot through. Boiling will break the cream cheese.
• Keep warm in a chafing dish, small slow cooker, or fondue pot. Cold crab dip seizes and loses its silky texture.

Variations

• Stir in 2 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions or chives for a brighter, oniony lift.
• Add a few dashes of hot sauce or ¼ teaspoon of Old Bay for a Maryland-leaning kick.
• Top with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and broil briefly for a bubbly, browned crust before serving.