Skillet-Baked Lump Crab Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A hot, bubbling crab dip baked in a small cast-iron skillet. The base is cream cheese loosened with sour cream and mayo, sharpened with lemon, Dijon and Old Bay, and the lump crab goes in at the very end with a rubber spatula so it stays in big, sweet pieces instead of shredding into the dip. Serve straight from the skillet with buttery crackers and toasted baguette.

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp finely minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 3 oz sharp white cheddar, coarsely grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives or scallion greens
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 lb lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shell
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning

• 1 small baguette, sliced 1/2 inch thick and toasted
• Buttery crackers
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Drain the crabmeat in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl for 10 minutes, then spread it on a paper-towel-lined plate and blot the top gently. Slide your fingers through it once to check for bits of shell or cartilage, disturbing the lumps as little as possible. Refrigerate until step 6. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an 8- or 9-inch cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, then scrape everything into a large mixing bowl and wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
3. Add the softened cream cheese to the bowl with the shallot mixture and beat with a sturdy spatula or hand mixer on low until smooth, about 1 minute. Lumps of cold cream cheese will never fully disappear, so make sure it is truly at room temperature before you start.
4. Mix in the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper until completely smooth and uniform.
5. Fold in the cheddar, 1/4 cup Parmesan and the chives. Taste the base now, before the crab goes in, and adjust the lemon, hot sauce and salt — it should taste slightly aggressive, since the crab will mellow it.
6. Add the crabmeat all at once. Using a rubber spatula, cut down through the mixture and fold up from the bottom, rotating the bowl a quarter turn between folds. Stop after 6 to 8 folds, while you can still see distinct lumps of crab — a few unmixed streaks of base are better than shredded crab.
7. Transfer the mixture to the clean skillet and spread it gently to the edges with the spatula, leaving the top slightly mounded and craggy rather than smoothed flat.
8. Toss the panko with the melted butter, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay until the crumbs are evenly coated, then scatter over the dip.
9. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are bubbling actively and the center registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. If the crumbs are not deep golden, run the skillet under the broiler for 60 to 90 seconds, watching constantly.
10. Let the skillet rest 5 to 8 minutes — the dip firms up and stops being molten. Shower with parsley, squeeze a little lemon over the top, and serve hot from the skillet with toasted baguette, crackers and lemon wedges. Set the skillet on a trivet or folded towel and warn everyone the handle is hot.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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