Hot Cheddar Crab Dip

Why This Recipe Works

This dip was inspired by one from French-influenced Cajun Louisiana, where it's called crab au gratin. For our perfectly creamy, irresistibly dippable version, we began by making a base that was essentially a traditional French Mornay sauce (a cheese-laden cream sauce) that was boldly seasoned with distinctly Cajun ingredients. We built the sauce by sautéing onion, bell pepper, and celery in a generous amount of butter before flavoring the mix with fresh garlic, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper; adding ultrasavory Worcestershire sauce layered in spice and umami. We took care when sourcing the two starring ingredients, seeking out a good-quality aged cheddar and the best crabmeat available. Aged cheddars are not only salty and sharp but also pleasantly sour and buttery. When melted into the already flavorful base of this crab dip, they added incomparable depth. We found that we preferred freshly cooked and picked unpasteurized crab here, but we also loved the test kitchen's winning refrigerated pasteurized crabmeat, Phillips Premium Crab Jumbo. It's fresh-tasting and sweet, with a pleasant mild brininess. When carefully stirred into the delightful Mornay sauce, topped with more good-quality cheddar, and broiled briefly until beautifully browned and bubbling, it lightened and invigorated the dip.