I love me some crab. Especially our beloved local Maryland Blue Crab. Hardshell, softshell, crab cakes, crab balls, lump, backfin, soup, bisque, chowder … you name it, I’ll eat it. Picking crabs is a lovely way to spend a hot summer afternoon, sitting at a picnic table covered in paper bags, cold beverages at hand, but it is HARD work and that crab fights back! Sometimes you just want to take it easy and get your crab fix without the nicks and cuts, right?
This weekend, my local market had some imported crab on sale. I grabbed a tub with the idea that I was going to make a hot crab dip, an idea that got discarded as soon as I got my sailing invitation! [It was a perfect day for sailing and I am grateful for my friends with sailboats!] Instead, I grabbed a few items from the fridge and pantry and threw together a crab dip that came together quickly and went down just as fast.
Spicy Cold Crab Dip
Serves 4 as an appetizer
1 small container (5 – 6 oz) plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used “light”)
1 tablespoon bottled key lime juice (I use “Nellie and Joe’s”)
1 – 2 teaspoons of diced hot cherry peppers, to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (medium), to taste
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz crab, carefully picked over
3/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (I used a bagged “Mexican” 4-cheese blend)
Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, cherry peppers, chili powder, a pinch or two of salt, and cracked pepper in a bowl. Taste for seasoning — you are looking for a little zing not a slap in the face, but you may find you need a tad more hot peppers or chili powder. Add more salt SPARINGLY, since the cheese and crab will be somewhat salty themselves.
Gently pick and finger through the crab, extracting all the shell and cartilage you find, without breaking it up too much. Gently fold the crab and the cheese into the yogurt mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve cold with a sturdy dipper, like tortilla chips or pita chips. IF there’s any leftover (HA!), eat it within a day.
[photo credit: Steve Kullen]
*****
Fresh crab is highly perishable. Keep it refrigerated until you are actually using it.
I used an imported crab labelled “lump” that my market sold at a “backfin” price. Don’t use the $20/lb+ lump in this dip — save that for crabcakes!
I made a variation the day before with NO salt and Old Bay instead of chili powder — also a home run! I went with chili powder rather than Old Bay this time because one of my guests is gastro-sensitive to some unknown component of Old Bay. Honestly — I think I liked the chili powder better 
*****
7/25 update: Over the Fourth, I made a double batch that (surprisingly) wasn’t consumed within a couple of days, so I froze the leftovers. Early this week, I pulled it out of the freezer to partially thaw, threw it in a shallow baking dish (prepare with baking spray first!), and then threw THAT into a 350F oven until hot and bubbly (stir occasionally to ensure heated through). Throw a couple of handfuls of cheese on top, back in the oven to melt thoroughly, and TA DA — hot crab dip!