San Francisco Crab Dip Recipes

OLD-STYLE SAN FRANCISCO CRAB CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Using a TALL 8-10 quart pot, cover the bottom of the pot with a good virgin olive oil, about ¼ cup. Add the chopped onion, sage, garlic, parsley and celery and sauté slow and stirring often until tender, approximately 20 minutes. If it gets too dry, add a little more olive oil. Add tomato sauce and cayenne pepper. Reduce to lowest simmer and cook for approximately 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it gets too dry, add a little water.
• Add 10-12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Begin adding the seafood. Raw crab first (if not raw, then cooked is an ok substitute.) If you get raw crab, cleaned and chopped, it will be much better). Return to a low boil, then lower to low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Then add clams and mussels. Continue to simmer 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallops, simmer for 10 minutes, along with a cheese glass of white wine (6 oz.) before serving. Ok if this sits on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add the fish 5-7 minutes before you are ready to serve. Any longer than that, take it off the heat and reheat gently before serving. Ladle into large bowls and have a few extra bowls on the table for shells.
• Have plenty of garlic and olive oil basted sourdough bread, finished with shredded parmesan cheese and your favorite California Chardonay. Offer the usual complement of crab tools, crackers, pickers, etc.
• Left-overs should be refrigerated and eaten next day or two. After eating, offer your guests a warm hand towel with fresh lemon squirted on it, with a little water, microwave on high for 30 seconds.

THE VERY BEST CRAB DIP MOLD

Steps:

• 1. Cut cream cheese into about 16 pieces and set aside.
• 2. Put soup into small saucepan and warm. Do not boil.
• 3. When soup is warm add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
• 4. Turn off the heat. Add the mayonnaise to the cream cheese mixture and blend well.
• 5. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over top of the soup mixture and stir to blend. When gelatin has dissolved remove allow mixture to set and cool to room temperature.
• 6. When mixture has cooled to room temperature, add remaining ingredients except for crackers and stir to mix well.
• 7. Pour all into a bowl and chill for at least 8 hours.
• 8. If you want to have it molded, pour into a pretty shaped bowl like a bundt pan lined with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving. When you are ready to serve flip the bowl upside down onto serving plate and carefully remove plastic wrap.
• 9. Serve cold with crackers.
• 10. NOTES: I have made this so many times I can't even tell you! I have used many different brands of soup and I can tell you that Campbell's condensed Cream of Mushroom is the only way to go for best flavor results. I have also made this with other than real mayonnaise and it does not taste right. Using real mayonnaise is a critical choice with this dip and Hellman's or Best Foods are the best choices. The amount of onion and crab are up to you. We prefer a nice strong onion flavor, but if you don't please feel free to reduce the amount of onion. I prefer the flavor of red onion in this recipe, but I have used scallions and they weren't too bad. Now for the crab. I only use real fresh crab and I use a lot of it because it is so danged good. If you don't have access to fresh crab you can use frozen snow or king crab. Be sure to thaw completely and drain well. You can also use canned lump crab .. again .. drain well. and it won't hurt to dab the crab with paper towel to absorb excess moisture. The amount of crab you use is - once again - up to you and your taste. If you like a lot of crab flavor use the higher amount. And one more note ... this is also extremely yummy if you add some shrimp to it! I hope you enjoy this timeless dish.

ZESTY CRAB DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly spritz a shallow baking dish with cooking spray (Pam).
• Mix all the ingredients except for the almonds and place in prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the almonds over the top and bake for 15 minutes.

DUNGENESS CRAB DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.
• Slice the French bread very thinly into 1/4-inch slices, cut each slice into two pieces, place on a baking sheet and brush each slice with melted butter; add the cracked pepper, pressing to adhere; place under the broiler for approximately 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted; Turn each slice over and toast the other side for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted; Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a rack.
• In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, crab, Parmesan, cayenne and salt; mix well; Lightly butter two 4 oz. (1/2 cup) ramekins, fill each ramekin with the crab mixture (This can be done ahead of time, covered and refrigerated until ready to bake).
• When ready to serve, bake for approximately 20 - 22 minutes until top is bubbly and starting to turn brown; Place on a plate with a pate knife and the toasted bread and serve.
• Makes approximately 1 cup.