Recipe for Hot Crab Dip
16 oz fresh crab meat
1 small red pepper
1 handful flat leaf parsley
1 bunch scallion greens
3/4 cup regular mayo
8 oz whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp tobasco
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. old bay seasoning
1 c. panko

Place the crabmeat in a medium bowl and flake with your fingers. Stir in the bell pepper, parsley, and scallions. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the mayonnaise, cream cheese, lemon juice, hot sauce and old bay.

Transfer to a 1-qt/1-L shallow baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 425°

Sprinkle panko mixture on top and bake until the panko is toasty brown and the dip is bubbling at the edges, about 12 minutes (took me 20 min in a toaster oven)

Serve hot with bread or pita chips.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. What is pasteurized crab meat vs fresh crab meat? Processed? Serious question. TIA

Pasteurized means cooked, basically. It’s sealed and heated so that it can last for weeks in the refrigerator. Since the local crabbing season is over, it’s the only option. It will be great - dip is a great use for it imo.

Um, hate to break it to you, but ALL crab meat that you buy is cooked. Please tell us where you've seen meat removed from a crab without it being cooked first.

Anonymous wrote:This crab meat from costco doesn't taste fishy?

It’s the fresh brought in with the seasonal seafood guys. It’s delish.

Just want to say that Whole Foods is carrying “chicken of the sea” brand...I bought it for $25! Hoping it’s ok...

This crab meat from costco doesn't taste fishy?

Well I bought something calling itself fresh jumbo lump crabmeat at Costco today. $30 per lb.
looks and smells great. I’d love a crab casserole recipe.

I can't find the exact recipe, but I've made one like this, but baked it at 325-350 degrees (whatever the oven needed to be on for other items), and it's good with canned crab (generally something "sustainable" from Whole Foods). I once splurged on fresh crab, but the difference was not huge. If it were to be served cold, I'd vote for fresh crab, but baked into a dip, can can suffice.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/creamy-crab-dip-with-cream-cheese-garlic-3054376

Anonymous wrote:OP again. What is pasteurized crab meat vs fresh crab meat? Processed? Serious question. TIA

Pasteurized means cooked, basically. It’s sealed and heated so that it can last for weeks in the refrigerator. Since the local crabbing season is over, it’s the only option. It will be great - dip is a great use for it imo.

OP again. What is pasteurized crab meat vs fresh crab meat? Processed? Serious question. TIA

It's too late for fresh crabmeat so you can just get the pasteurized stuff from wherever (I mean, someplace reasonably reputable). I'm sure it will be delicious in a dip.

If you were going to go to Costco I would at least stop in at Ivy City Smokehouse since it's so close. They have a retail seafood counter (it's all owned by the seafood wholesaler across the street). But as I said the season is over so I think it's all going to be the same.

Also though that wholesaler is famous for Rockfish poaching so maybe they will have some fresh crab still?

I make a crab casserole with a cup of mayo and Old Bay. Top with buttered crumbs. Cook on low--

There's really nothing you can do to mess it up if you have good crabmeat. Serve with crackers.

Super easy and pretty and cold:

Take a pretty platter--I use silver and put a glass plate on top.
Spread cream cheese across the plate.
Pour on cocktail sauce over the cream cheese.
Top with crabmeat. Serve with crackers.

(It looks real attractive until you dig in--then gets a little messy. But it tastes great.

As for where to purchase, I like fresh lump crabmeat. Not sure if Costco has it except when fish people are there.

I plan to make crab dip for Christmas eve. Is the crab meat at Costco less expensive than other stores? Worth dealing w long lines?

Any crab dip recipes you make and swear by?

TIA