Crab Dip

As much as I don’t want to admit this factoid, the crab dip I prepared for the blog is a Martha Stewart recipe. What she calls “Hot Crab Dip” is out of the cookbook “Martha Stewart’s Hors D’oeuvres Handbook,” which was published in 1999.

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She might not have been a convict at the time the book was published, but my reluctance to ever buy any of her cookbooks was based on her attitude that I’ve witnessed on tv, not because she was a jailbird. I’m all for confidence and knowledge, which she definitely exudes, but it’s her haughtiness that turns me off. Something us Americans might call snottiness.

But somehow this hors d’oeuvres cookbook appealed to me and I purchased it. At the time I was doing a lot of catering, and most of my parties were of the “finger food” variety, not sit-down dinner parties. And honestly, the cookbook was inspirational to me, as much as I don’t want to admit it.

I think Ms. Stewart may have been the first to use serious food styling in cookbooks; food magazines had been doing it for a while. The photos in this book are stunning. And they’re a little misleading.

I remember talking to a bride-to-be about her wedding reception food, and she opened up bookmarked pages from this same cookbook. She showed me photos of little cucumber cups, carefully carved out with a melon baller, hollowed out cherry tomatoes, and my favorite – glasses filled with equal-length celery, asparagus, cucumbers, yellow runner beans, jicama, carrots, and green onions.

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It was certainly pretty in the photographs, but for 250 people I had to explain to the young lady that all of the prep work would take hours and hours. And hours. Wouldn’t she rather spend money on actual food than my time spent carving vegetables?

In any case, I’d never made a crab dip until I saw the one in this cookbook, so I guess I must thank Martha Stewart. Because it’s served warm, it’s a great dip in the winter time, and has always been a crowd pleaser.

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So here is the original recipe.

Hot Crab Dip
Makes 3 1/2 cups

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
4 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
10 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage*
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Have your crab meat prepared. I had to use frozen crab legs, thaw them, remove the meat from the shells, and then pat them dry with paper towels. Chop finely.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the center. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.

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Add 1 tablespoon of water and simmer for 30 seconds. (I don’t remember ever doing this!)

Stir in the cayenne, Old Bay, and dry mustard until well combined. Pour the 1/2 and 1/2 into the saucepan and bring to a simmer.

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Slowly whisk in the cream cheese, a few pieces at a time. When the cream cheese is fully incorporated, whisk in the Cheddar cheese a bit at a time.

(When you’re melting cheese like this, do it at the lowest temperature. It takes time, but you don’t want to “cook” the cheese, only melt it. And keep stirring.)

Stir the mixture for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice and Worcestershire and stir to combine. Add the crabmeat and half of the parsley and stir.

Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof baking dish and sprinkle with the bread pieces.

Dot the top of the bread pieces with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with the paprika. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the bread pieces are golden and the dip is hot.

Garnish with the remaining parsley. I served the dip warm with pita chips.

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As an alternative, use pre-made phyllo cups for a fancier presentation. Fill them up with the hot crab dip and serve!

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The phyllo crunch and the creamy dip is a lovely combination. And these are bite size! Just make sure to fill the cups at the last minute so they don’t get soggy.

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* Fresh crabmeat is difficult for me to get my hands on, and frozen crab is waterlogged, but what I won’t use is that nasty fake crab made from sweetened white fish, that is shaped in to rubbery pieces to mimic actual crab legs, shown below.

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note: Although the first time I made this I probably followed the recipe, I’ve never since included the bread topping. I used 3 tablespoons of butter, melted, mixed with about 1/3 cup of Panko bread crumbs and sprinkled the mixture on to the crab dip, followed by the paprika.

By Published On: February 5th, 201676 Comments on Crab Dip

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

76 Comments

  1. Nadia February 5, 2016 at 8:10 AM - Reply

    Here in France it is not done to mix seafood with cheese but I love your recipe and am going to try it out on some of my neighbours.
    I second your thoughts about Martha. Having seen her speak once, she came across as having a “better than you” attitude to everyone.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 12:25 PM - Reply

      I understand completely, although this is a filling and not a crab “serving.” I personally don’t like cheese on fish or seafood. I’m half Italian and half French, so maybe that’s why! I hope you’ll like this mixture if you make it!

  2. Linda Duffin February 5, 2016 at 10:11 AM - Reply

    I could eat an entire plate of those filo cups right now. Goodness, you’re making me hungry! I agree with you about MS, she always seems insufferably smug, but this is a delightful recipe.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 12:26 PM - Reply

      Very smug, I still can’t believe I purchased one of her cookbooks and added to her fortune!!!

      • Linda Duffin February 5, 2016 at 3:05 PM

        I believe they have to purchase their own hygiene products in prison. :)

  3. Kiki February 5, 2016 at 10:17 AM - Reply

    I don’t even like seafood, but your phyllo cups look great! If I didn’t know they had crab in them, I’d grab them all and run :-D Love the pics, too!

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 12:26 PM - Reply

      If you could get fresh crab, unlike myself, you really might not know they were filled with seafood!

  4. Heather @ Sweet Precision February 5, 2016 at 10:35 AM - Reply

    We MUST be on the same wavelength! Just last weekend I used the mini phyllo shells to make miniature pecan tarts on my blog. I love the savory direction you went with the crab. The presentation is lovely :) Hope you have a lovely weekend!

  5. chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 12:27 PM - Reply

    They do come in handy, although back when I catered, I would have to purchase extra because so many would be broken, in spite of the fairly sturdy packaging!!! I should have demanded some money back!!!

  6. anotherfoodieblogger February 5, 2016 at 1:54 PM - Reply

    Oh wow, that was probably a lot of work to shell that many crab legs for this! But you gotta do what you gotta do when you don’t have any viable alternate. The dip looks really good, I’ll have to save this off to make when we go crabbing again later this year. Very nice photos, too!

    • chef mimi February 6, 2016 at 9:43 PM - Reply

      You’re really rubbing it in, aren’t you?!! Oh I wish I could get fresh seafood…..

      • anotherfoodieblogger February 6, 2016 at 10:19 PM

        Woops sorry! :D I do feel bad for the landlocked, though. But you do make the best of it, and for that I’m grateful you are someone who takes the time to do it right. :)

  7. cookingwithauntjuju.com February 5, 2016 at 3:13 PM - Reply

    I love crab served just about any way. Phyllo cups and shortbread cups are always in my pantry ready to serve up a savory or sweet recipe. Martha is quite a character – I’ve watched her on and off for many years and I do have a couple of her cookbooks. I try to look beyond the person and see only her recipes and gardening ideas.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 3:25 PM - Reply

      Well, you’re definitely a better woman than I am, because I’ve definitely judged her. But I really don’t like people who think they’re better. Phyllo cups are a fun thing to have on hand!!!

      • cookingwithauntjuju.com February 5, 2016 at 3:28 PM

        I don’t like her as a person or a woman – she is very “uppity” and thinks she knows it all and her way is the best way.

  8. Shanna Koenigsdorf Ward February 5, 2016 at 3:26 PM - Reply

    Great recipe and story, too :-)

  9. apuginthekitchen February 5, 2016 at 6:05 PM - Reply

    I actually like Martha not because she’s a nice person, she’s not (I’ve heard) but because I respect her business sense, her determination and her talent and she is talented. I think the crab dip sounds and looks delicious.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 9:15 PM - Reply

      She’s definitely determined, but I just wonder how many people’s heads she stepped on on the way up. That’s what I meant – she has good qualities that young women should strive for in life and business. But then, she might have gone too far. Some might say that a man with her accomplishments/sucess might be highly respected, but as a woman, she’s just considered a bitch. I certainly hope that’s not how I’m viewing her!!!

      • apuginthekitchen February 5, 2016 at 9:48 PM

        I know people who work for her and she is a right bitch but evidently it can’t be that bad some have been with her 10 plus years. I am sure she must have tromped on some heads for sure. I just can’t help but admire what she has accomplished.

  10. sa.fifer February 5, 2016 at 6:12 PM - Reply

    I share your thoughts on Martha Stewart, So much that I’ve avoided purchasing any of her books. The few I’ve looked at looked so “styled” that it just didn’t appeal. This does sound like a tasty recipe, though.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 9:10 PM - Reply

      Well, it is a good recipe, but I know exactly what you mean!!!

  11. camparigirl February 5, 2016 at 7:12 PM - Reply

    Here is what I have to say about her recipes: she does have a great test kitchen because anything I ever tried was consistent with what I expected. Crab dip – just in time for the super bowl.

    • chef mimi February 5, 2016 at 9:11 PM - Reply

      Actually, in spite of her test kitchen, I’ve heard over and over that there are major typos in her recipes. Whatever. She’s still impressive to me, I won’t deny that. Everything she comes up with is impressive, whether it’s chicken coops or paint colors. Damnit.

      • Cecile February 6, 2016 at 12:27 PM

        And she has lots and lots of help doing things… even though she would NEVER admit it. It’s always, “I did this – and I did that’!

      • chef mimi February 6, 2016 at 2:46 PM

        Exactly.

  12. lapetitepaniere February 5, 2016 at 11:06 PM - Reply

    Love it, Mimi! :)

  13. Cecile February 6, 2016 at 12:27 PM - Reply

    YUM, YUM and YUM!! These look fabulous!! As far as Martha Stewart goes… in many ways I admire her… but in other ways I’ve find her to be a big phony. I used to love it when she’d have her mother, ‘Big Martha’, on her show because her mother did NOT stretch the truth. One time, as Martha (‘Little Martha”??) was preparing something with nutmeg she said to her mother, “And I always remember you grating fresh nutmeg for this recipe”. To wwhich ‘Big Martha’ replied, “Really… I don’t remember ever doing that”. I LOVED IT!!

    • chef mimi February 11, 2016 at 12:42 PM - Reply

      I remember big Martha, and she wasn’t exactly warm and cuddly either, was she?!!!

      • Cecile February 11, 2016 at 7:57 PM

        You made me laugh!! And – I was thinking of you when I (just) posted a recipe for a pie made with leftovers… right in the middle of the recipe is the good old 1960’s and 1970’s standby – good old mushroom soup in a can!! (Hey – the end result is pretty good – LOL !)

  14. hotlyspiced February 6, 2016 at 3:07 PM - Reply

    I’ve heard of Martha Stewart and am aware she did some time in jail but I’ve never seen her on TV. I’ve also heard she’s very good with styling. Hot crab dip is quite popular in Oz. I love how you’ve presented it xx

    • chef mimi February 6, 2016 at 9:47 PM - Reply

      Thank you Charlie! In my experience, ms. Stewart isn’t well known in European countries, either. But she is creative, and she should be admired for that!

  15. Francesca February 6, 2016 at 4:50 PM - Reply

    I agree with you. She sure is smart and talented but there is something off about her. I think she is not able to create a real connection with the public at large: she is not funny or sympathetic and she always keeps her distance. Still she is very successful.
    The dip sounds perfect for a dinner party and the phyllo shells’ presentation is super, Mimi!

    • chef mimi February 6, 2016 at 6:16 PM - Reply

      Thank you. No, she has absolutely no sense of humor at all!!!

  16. Abbe Odenwalder February 6, 2016 at 8:16 PM - Reply

    Well, Martha may not be the warmest person in the world, but in general, I think her recipes are pretty good. The funny thing is that I just made this for new year’s. I had never made a crab dip before and I thought it was about time. Truth is, we all decided that we prefer our crab straight or in crab cakes. Kind of funny, because I know most folks adore crab dip! I guess we are a bit odd!

    • chef mimi February 8, 2016 at 4:12 PM - Reply

      If I could get my hands on fresh crab, I’d eat it right out of the claws. So I completely understand your choice!!!

  17. Cocoa & Lavender February 7, 2016 at 8:21 AM - Reply

    I have the same book, Mimi, and have used it occasionally wishing that I had the same army of minions Martha has! It would make all this apps so much easier if I had help! I haven’t tried the crab dip yet, so will give it I a try for our next gathering.

    • chef mimi February 7, 2016 at 1:29 PM - Reply

      Everything is very creative in the book, and so pretty. It’s just not realistic. Personally, I don’t think you have to go that far if you’ve made good food. Because good food is pretty food! I’ve always said that, but I think a famous chef also said it.

  18. Our Growing Paynes February 7, 2016 at 10:57 AM - Reply

    Did you see the clip of Martha online on Ellen’s show with Drew Barrymore? She was so rude to Drew! Drew had the audience on her side in such a fun manner. I know Martha Stewart has great ideas but she is so snobby about it. I do, however, love this recipe. And aren’t the phyllo cups a great go to?

    • chef mimi February 7, 2016 at 1:25 PM - Reply

      Oh I missed that. Ellen and Martha Stewart – what a combination!!!

  19. eliotthecat February 7, 2016 at 1:02 PM - Reply

    I understand. I have the same response to the Pioneer Woman (although I will readily admit it is part jealousy based). Love the crab dip. Is it on your SB50 buffet table? If not, should be….

    • chef mimi February 7, 2016 at 1:27 PM - Reply

      Well for one, I cannot stand her voice. So it’s like fingernails on chalkboard for me. But she has certainly become successful. I just don’t like her recipes. I guess I don’t feed Cowboys! Where have you been? I think I lost you for a while?!!

  20. ChgoJohn February 8, 2016 at 12:06 AM - Reply

    I’m not much a fan of her either, though I do enjoy many of her recipes. Luckily, most can be found online and I don’t have to listen/watch her prepare therm. This crab dip does sound like a good one. Figures she’d know her way around a crab. :)

  21. Michelle February 8, 2016 at 7:56 PM - Reply

    I actually find Martha hilarious. Of course she’s totally out of touch. But compared with the 1%ers we are forced to put up with these days, she’s almost like a next door neighbor. And her (or her staff’s) recipes are almost always good.

    • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 12:59 PM - Reply

      Out of touch describes her very well. I know she came from humble beginnings, but she has a short memory, obviously.

      • Michelle February 9, 2016 at 6:18 PM

        I so miss her shows on Sirius radio, which I have in my car. Just listening to her trying to connect with the regular folks who adored her was a hoot!

      • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 9:38 PM

        They really did adore her, didn’t they. Maybe they still do. She did make housekeeping seem like less of a negative.

  22. Gerlinde de Broekert February 9, 2016 at 12:11 AM - Reply

    I am definitely not a fan of Martha Stewart and I’ve heard that she lost a decorating contest in prison . HaHa! This recipe however looks delicious .

    • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 12:58 PM - Reply

      That’s so funny!! I mean it really is funny!!!

  23. bitsandbreadcrumbs February 9, 2016 at 9:59 AM - Reply

    The first part of this post conveying your feelings towards Martha Stewart sounds exactly like me…maybe that’s why I, too, have this book which I found at a discount book store. It has some great ideas in it and now I may have to try this crab dip. It’s not hard to get crab here but it is very expensive. This looks like it would be well worth it, though. :)

    • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 12:57 PM - Reply

      I tried canned crab, and didn’t like it, no matter how much I rinsed it. It was also expensive.

      • bitsandbreadcrumbs February 9, 2016 at 1:16 PM

        Oh yes, I have made that mistake before. It doesn’t even taste like crab, it tastes like a can!

      • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM

        Exactly. That’s why just about all I eat is seafood when I leave Oklahoma!

  24. Karen February 9, 2016 at 1:49 PM - Reply

    I have that cookbook…I probably bought it because of the beautifully presented food in the photos but never made one thing out of it. I’ll go by your recommendation and give the dip a try because I do love crab. I’m like you, I hate the phony stuff.

    • chef mimi February 9, 2016 at 9:40 PM - Reply

      Phony, and over-the-top stuff that’s unrealistic.

  25. niketacalameharris February 10, 2016 at 11:53 PM - Reply

    looks amazing I think i will try this recipe
    as well. thanks for sharing

  26. The Gourmet Gourmand February 11, 2016 at 12:19 AM - Reply

    My husband would be so happy if I made this tonight…. And love the “vintage” pre-incarceration Martha book. I agree- she’s a little snooty for me, but sometimes you have to overlook that for the right recipe. Looks great!

    • chef mimi February 11, 2016 at 12:33 PM - Reply

      I’ve also heard over the years that the recipes haven’t been that well edited, or there were typos. Guess she was just in a big hurry to crank out all of her cookbooks.

  27. dianeskitchentable February 13, 2016 at 1:30 PM - Reply

    Hi there Mimi, I’m getting back from out of a winter funk and loving your posts, especially this beauty (I’ll pretend it didn’t come from Martha). I love crab dip but have never made a warm dip before. If i were to sit and have a seafood meal my first preference would be for lobster but for something like a dip, crab is definitely my favorite. Love those little phyllo cups!
    I probably shouldn’t say but your read on Martha is pretty accurate. I do know someone who worked for her & to say that she is a difficult person to work for is a huge understatement. It always cracks me up when you see her doing things in her garden – like digging with a shovel…well, that’s only until the photographer snaps the shot & then that shovel gets passed on to ‘staff’.

    • chef mimi February 13, 2016 at 2:13 PM - Reply

      Hi Diane! Glad you’re back. You’re one of my favorites!!! I admire Martha for what she did – at least in the beginning. But she should have hired someone to be the “face” of Martha Stewart, she just isn’t normal.

  28. Cecile January 10, 2017 at 11:25 PM - Reply

    This looks sooo good – I wish I had even a tiny bit of this right now… and a bit of white wine. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately… but one look at this Crab Dip and I’m starving.
    I’m going to include this recipe – with a link to this post of course – tomorrow in my 2nd ‘Recipe Roundup’. The ‘theme’ is Super Bowl and I do believe that even a tough beer-drinking, football-loving man will love this dip, as well as his wife!
    On another note, I just noticed above that you’d said ‘welcome back’ to Diane of ‘Diane’s Kitchen Table’. Recently I made a list of blogs I follow and her blog wasn’t on that list. (I pretty much wrote it from memory.) I’m so looking forward to getting back in touch with her!

    • Cecile January 10, 2017 at 11:32 PM - Reply

      I just saw Diane hasn’t posted since Nov. 2015. And that she had changed the name of her blog as well. ; o (

    • chef mimi January 11, 2017 at 8:00 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I know Diane’s daughter got married but right now I can’t remember what else got her off the radar with blogging. Except that it is time consuming and much like an unpaid job! Can’t wait to see your post!

      • Cecile January 11, 2017 at 8:10 AM

        You got it there… an unpaid job that’s time consuming – but rewarding, or we wouldn’t be doing it.
        Not long ago a blogger I’ve been following since I began blogging posted a ‘this will be my last post’ post. I can’t remember who it was now… but I remember being saddened. (i think I might need my thyroid meds upped again… BIG BRAIN FOG lately…)
        I know you feel as i do – fellow bloggers do become friends. We learn about their lives, with all its ups and downs, and we miss them when we’re no longer in touch.
        Gonna go put the last minutes ‘touches’ on my Roundup Post!! ; o )

  29. indianeskitchen July 3, 2017 at 3:31 PM - Reply

    I love Crab Dip! Thanks for sharing this.

  30. Ana May 4, 2022 at 1:58 AM - Reply

    This crab dip looks perfect to make when I have guests over. I just know it is going to turn out good!

  31. Nancy E. Sutton July 28, 2022 at 11:13 AM - Reply

    Enjoying the MS critques! I first saw the very upscale ‘gardener’displaying her chicken coop, and I was hooked :) I think her ‘posh’ demeanor while doing the menial (cooking etc), ‘crafty'(sewing, etc) stuff was the secret to her success. She gave permission to the snooty to indulge in the universal joy of ‘DIY and making’ …. and a polish of upper class to those who had always ‘done it manually’ to save money :)

    • Chef Mimi July 28, 2022 at 12:49 PM - Reply

      Well she certainly knows her stuff! Snooty indeed, but it works! I remember those chicken coops! Gorgeous.

  32. thatskinnychickcanbake July 16, 2023 at 7:27 AM - Reply

    YUM! I’m always looking for new dips for entertaining and this crab dip fits the bill!! So fun served in mini filo cups, too.

    • Chef Mimi July 16, 2023 at 3:54 PM - Reply

      The original recipe that I adapted is a Martha Stewart recipe.

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