Name: Cast Iron Baked Crab Dip with Crostini
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 2 (12-inch) piece French baguettes , sliced 1/4 inch thick on bias; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning; 8 ounces cream cheese , cut into 8 pieces and softened; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley; 12 ounces lump crabmeat , picked over for shells and pressed dry between paper towels

Why This Recipe Works

In its ideal form, crab dip is a decadent, finger-friendly party pleaser served warm as a cocktail appetizer full of creamy, meaty seafood and savory spices. Here, the cast-iron skillet provides the perfect oven-to-table cooking vessel, ensuring that your guests will enjoy the dip while it's hot. For a serving option that was sturdy enough to scoop into the rich dip without any need for a spoon, we made a quick batch of crostini from sliced baguettes. Prebaking the bread before adding it to the skillet ensured that the toasts stayed crisp when loaded up with dip. To make a savory base for the crab dip, we first cooked onion in the skillet, adding just a bit of Old Bay seasoning and coriander. We then removed the sautéed onions from the skillet and combined them with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and parsley. After gently folding the crabmeat into the mixture, we put the whole thing back in the skillet and baked it until warmed and bubbly throughout, with crostini fanned around the perimeter. Unlike other versions of this popular appetizer, our crab dip has a high ratio of crab to cheese, allowing the sweet crab flavor to come through.

Before You Begin

Do not substitute imitation crabmeat here. To soften the cream cheese quickly, microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread slices in even layer in 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets and flipping slices halfway through baking. Brush crostini with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Old Bay and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; transfer to large bowl. Stir cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon parsley, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into onion mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in crabmeat.

Spread dip evenly in now-empty skillet, then shingle crostini around edge, submerging narrow ends in crabmixture. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until dip is heated through and crostini are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon parsley. Serve.