Lobster, Shrimp or Crab Dip

Courtesy of Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh

I came up with this dip after tasting the normal crab dip made of cream cheese, crab and garlic. I make outstanding crab stuffed mushrooms, so I adapted that recipe to a crab dip. This makes a truly addictive crab dip suitable for any type of party. For a formal party, bake the dip and then put beautifully formed scoops of dip on individual plates and serve with points of toast. For a game day snack, just put it on the table and watch it disappear. You can also use this dip to fill cream cheese pastry tarts or to bake on top of cod, haddock or fresh salmon.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. (250 g.) block of cream cheese, softened (lite is fine)
  2 6 oz. cans of crab, well-drained (Choose a decent brand of crab, preferably better quality not the cheapest. Do not use imitation seafood, as most is not gluten-free)
  OR 8 oz. fresh or frozen thawed crab
  OR 8 oz. cooked salad shrimp, not from a can
  OR 8 oz. cooked lobster
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely crushed
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) butter or oil
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) gluten-free ranch or Italian dressing (gives flavor without fuss)
• ½ cup (2 oz., 56 g.) finely shredded Swiss cheese or smoked Gouda (store brand is fine)
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon or less (optional, it gives a definite lemon flavor, which I love, but my husband notices)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• A few drops Tabasco or other hot sauce
• Paprika for color
• Parsley to garnish
• Note that no salt is added

Directions:

1. Melt the butter or oil in a small non-stick pan and gently cook onion and garlic, covered, until they are soft and colorless. This can also be done in the microwave in the same bowl you mix the dip in. I use a 4 cup (1 liter) Pyrex jug.
2. Chop parsley and then mix all ingredients together in a bowl. You can use the food processor, but it makes a very smooth dip.
3. Place into an attractive container with 1 quart (1 liter) capacity.
4. Sprinkle with paprika and bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes, until the dip is bubbling. OR just serve cold.
5. Remove from oven, let cool for about 5 minutes, garnish with more chopped or whole parsley and serve with crackers. Use a small knife for spreading. The dip is also good once it cools down, so people will still keep eating it. It does stiffen on cooling.

Tips:

• Since everything is cooked once you have cooked the onion and garlic, you can cheat and zap dish in microwave until bubbling, stir well and then sprinkle on paprika and parsley.
• I like to add about 1 Tbsp. of melted hot pepper jelly to give a slight bite without the crunch of raw jalapeño.
• You can also add some chopped basil, mix in ready-made pesto, a few chopped artichokes or cooked fresh asparagus tips.
• Leftovers, if there are any, can be melted with some milk as sauce for fish, rice or pasta.