10 ouncesfresh jumbo lump or lump crab meat*, picked over for shells
Baguette Crostini
1baguette
2tablespoonsmelted butter
1clovegarlic, grated
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°. Cut the root end and the dark green tops off of the leek. Slice in half length-wise and then into thin, half-moon slices. Rinse the sliced leek thoroughly in a colander and pat dry.**
In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the cleaned and sliced leeks in the butter with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Once softened, add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine the softened cream cheese with the mayo, lemon zest & juice and tarragon. Fold in the cooked leeks and 1 cup of the shredded fontina cheese, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for topping. Pat the coarsely chopped artichokes dry and fold into the cream cheese mixture.
Pick through the crab meat for shells and gently pat dry to remove any excess wetness. To the cream cheese mixture, add kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste and fold in the crab. Take care to not to break up the lumps of crab when folding, as the mixture will be thick at this stage.
Transfer the dip mixture into an 8" oven safe vessel and top with the remaining fontina cheese. Place the oven safe dish onto a baking sheet incase of spill over during baking. Bake uncovered in a 350° preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the dip is bubbling and the cheese is fully melted.
To add some additional brownness and toasty flavor, pop under the broiler on the top shelf of your oven for an additional minute or two, keeping a close eye. Once slightly golden, remove from the oven and top with extra chopped tarragon if desired for garnish. Enjoy piping hot with baguette crostini.
Baguette Crostini
Slice a French baguette diagonally into 1/2" slices and arrange on a sheet pan. In a small bowl, grate the garlic into the melted butter, and brush the tops of the baguette slices with the melted butter.
Bake in a 350° preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until firm and slightly toasty. These can go in the oven when the crab dip is about halfway through its bake time. Once firm and nicely toasted, remove the crostini from the oven. Serve while the crab and artichoke dip is piping hot.
Equipment
8" oven safe dish
Notes
*Jumbo lump crab meat consists of whole lumps of white meat from the body of the crab. Lump crab meat is the same type of meat as jumbo lump, but the pieces of meat will just be slightly smaller due to the meat being broken up during the picking process. Backfin crab meat consists of smaller broken pieces of body meat and is not ideal for this recipe as is it tends to be watery and can sometimes have a strong fishy taste. **Do not skip thoroughly rinsing your leeks. Leeks grow in a sandy environment, and a little bit of sand will surely ruin this delicious dip! Leeks are easiest to clean after they are sliced, as the sand can get inside the layers of the stalk.