Friday, February 26, 2010

Cajun Crab and Shrimp Dip

This has become a favorite of my husbands. I hadn't made it in a very long time and decided to whip some up for our very small Mardis Gras party we threw. It was a hit and my husband even requested I make it for him before he left to spend 3 weeks on his ship in the middle of the ocean. It's super easy and SOOOOOO yummy.

1 container of whipped Cream Cheese
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 6oz can of white crab meat drained completely
1 4oz can of tiny shrimp again drained completely (it says 4oz is the dry weight on the front)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cheyenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch of salt
1 handfull of shredded cheddar cheese

So start out by making sure that you're crab meat and shrimp are drained well from the juices of the cans. Otherwise you'll end up with an overpowering fishy flavor. I like to line my collander with paper towels and after I've used the lid of the can to drain most of the liquid off I then put both into the collander to continue draining while I mix the other ingredients.

Now in a small bowl place your whipped cream cheese and stir in the cream. (If you prefer to do it you can whip it yourself. Just a container of cream cheese and slowly add 1-2 tbsps of cream and whip with a wire attachment on a stand mixer or wire attachments for a hand mixer.) After you've mixed in the cream (this helps to think it a tad) slowly start to mix in your spices. I do this 1 at a time so that I can ensure even distribution of all the spices. I use a plastic spatula to mix the spices in.

Once your spices are in you can now mix in the cheese. Once all the cheese is mixed in and distributed evenly add your crab and shrimp. Now with this part you want to fold them into the mixture as to not break down the shrimp too much. You still want that chunky shrimp together.

Once it's all mixed together you're ready to go. It's better the longer you allow it to sit in the fridge but 1 hour is sufficient if you're unable to prepare this up the night before. This mixture is super tasty on top of ritz crackers or even clubs. But try out all sorts of different crackers. You never know which will be your favorite. You can also warm it and serve it as a hot crab dip and place it on top of warm pita points or on crostinies (small round pieces of hard bread) brushed with an oregano garlic oil mixture. It's super delicious and perfect for just about any occasion.

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