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.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position an oven rack 4 inches below the broiler element. Preheat the broiler. Butter a medium gratin dish.
Step 2
To make the dip, combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne pepper in a double boiler over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and herbs and stir until smooth. Using a large spatula, fold in the crabmeat, taking care not to break the lumps. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Serve warm.
making ahead
Step 3
Instead of a double boiler, combine the ingredients in the gratin dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and let warm to room temperature. Top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350°F until heated through, bubbling, and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
variation
Step 4
You can skip the gratin dish, breadcrumbs, and broiling altogether. Simply transfer the hot mixture from the double boiler into a chafing dish, fondue pot, or the setup described in Caterer’s Trick, below, and serve with water crackers or toasted slices of baguette.
caterer’s trick
Step 5
Chafing dishes are excellent for a crowd, but are often too large for smaller parties. Here’s an alternative that works well for foods like soups, dips, and sauces. On a heatproof surface, make a pot stand out of bricks or glass bricks, arranged in an open square or triangle. Place a sterno cup in the center and rest a heavy-duty pot on the bricks. I like the casual look of aged bricks and an enameled pot for a simple buffet.
