Cajun Crab Dip

My neighbor is an avid fisher and occasionally brings us over some fruits from the sea. When he dropped off a solid 8 ounces of fresh crab, we decided to try our hand at cajun crab dip, a delicacy we often enjoy when in New Orleans. I cribbed the web for a suitable recipe but none of them seemed quite right, so I winged it. The fresh crab was the star of the show in this resulting recipe.

Serves: 4 people | Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• A small amount of unsalted butter for greasing your baking dish

• 8 ounces of fresh crab meat

• 5 ounces of softened cream cheese

• 2 trimmed and minced scallions

• 1 teaspoon of old bay seasoning

• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar

• 1/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs (crumbled ritz crackers would work here as well)

• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise

• Juice of 1 medium lemon

• Chives for topping

• Sliced red bell pepper, cucumber, apple, and a selection of crackers for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Grease your casserole dish (a small casserole works well here, or a oven-safe small pan).

3. Thoroughly mix the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, cheddar, old bay seasoning, lemon juice, scallions, and mayonnaise.

4. Place the mix in whatever dish you are baking in, and gently fold in the crab. Try to keep the chunks of crab whole.

5. Mix the panko crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan and sprinkle mixture evenly over casserole.

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

7. Top with the sliced chives.

8. Serve alongside crackers of your choice, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, and apple slices.