Introducing your family to seafood can be risky. Many fish cook up into strong flavors which put young palates off. Some shoppers cannot access fresh fish easily. Meanwhile, crab dip recipes offer cooks the chance to experiment with varying crab styles and combinations with other flavors to satisfy the preferences of picky eaters.
Younger chefs might also like to begin with canned crab. This requires little fuss, comes ready to eat and broken up into small pieces. Imitation crab meat may come packaged with plastic and styrofoam, so if your budding chef objects to waste, avoid this ingredient. For the cook who wants everything authentic, look to a seafood supplier who can sell you fresh crab.
You then need to find a recipe for cold or hot dip. Cold dips often use canned crab meat, making them idea for children. Choose or adapt according to what your child can do in the kitchen.
Hot dips will likely require older hands to get involved, so fresh crab may work well here. Fresh crab needs to be cooked anyway. Pre-cooked or imitation crab might send out overwhelming aromas or canned crab may become overdone when cooked, while the mild flavor of fresh crab will blend in nicely with other ingredients producing inviting smells.
Cold crab dips recipes often provide a creamy appetizer. You can expect to use cream cheese to make a rich, heavy recipe. Replacing this with quark or cottage cheese will lighten the texture and the calories, but will also be runnier. Try a flavored cream cheese instead of adding extra herbs, onions or garlic. Other additions you might want to consider are mayonnaise, sour cream or plain yogurt. Cheese frequently finds its way into these concoctions too and here your choices continue. Consider a Mexican style cheese and salsa to mix with your meat, or a creamy dill Havarti with the seafood and some lemon juice to balance the flavors.
Some of these ingredients come pre-flavored with herbs, fruit and vegetables, or even salmon. Experienced cooks may find a way to blend the extra seafood with their crab without producing overly fishy results. Additional seasonings make a recipe more exciting, such as dill, lemon or lime. Go for a zesty finish with tabasco sauce, horseradish or chillies.
Hot dips benefit from the addition of cheese which mitigates any fishiness from the crab while also giving a gooey quality from within or a crispy topping. Gratin coatings made from breadcrumbs, butter and seasonings provide a contrasting texture to the thick, rich dip with their crunchy topping. Baked dips might also make light meals on their own with the addition of eggs and flour. Make yours gluten free for sensitive diners with potato or rice flour and gluten free baking powder.
Serve your appetizer in one of numerous ways. These dips provide a tasty accompaniment to plain potato chips. They work well with certain breads and raw vegetables. Serve your dip inside of a scooped out loaf, in a casserole dish, or even baked into mushroom caps or tart shells. When you want to add elegant flare, pair your crab dip with a crisp white wine such as Riesling, un-oaked Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer or Riesling.
Want to give your guests a treat at your next gathering? You may want to learn more about crab dip recipes. There are a number of crab recipes available.