Vietnamese🐟 Seafood

Vietnamese-Inspired Crab Dip

Name: Vietnamese-Inspired Crab Dip
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: ~1 whole Dungeness crab; ~1 lb shrimp; ~2 cups cheddar jack cheese (or Monterey Jack); ~3 tbsp butter; ~4 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp fish sauce; ~½ tsp black pepper; ~½ tsp sugar; 1½ tbsp mayonnaise; ~¼ cups Vietnamese coriander (rau ram); ~¼ cups Thai basil; ~2 Thai chilies; ~¼ cups fried shallots; ~1 tbsp rice vinegar; ~½ cup pickled vegetables (such as chayote, carrots, jalapeños)

This dish blends the flavors of the traditional Vietnamese shrimp toast (bánh mì tôm) with a Western-style crab dip. Fresh crab meat and shrimp are combined with cheese, Vietnamese coriander, Thai basil, and chilies, then baked until bubbly. Garnished with fried shallots, fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables, it's a Vietnamese-American fusion appetizer.

Adapted from a video by J. Kenji López-Alt

Making Vietnamese-Inspired Crab Dip with Pho Bac's Yenvy Pham

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Dungeness crabcooked and meat extracted~1 wholeest.
shrimpdeveined~1 lbest.
cheddar jack cheese (or Monterey Jack)~2 cupsest.
butterbrowned~3 tbspest.
garlic~4 clovesest.
fish sauce1 tbsp
black pepper~½ tspest.
sugar~½ tspest.
mayonnaise1½ tbsp
Vietnamese coriander (rau ram)

Steps

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1
Boil whole Dungeness crabs in salted water for about 14 minutes until cooked through.
2
Once cooled, extract all crab meat and roe. Devein the shrimp and set aside.
3
Melt butter in a pan and brown it slightly. Add minced garlic.
4
Add shrimp to the pan and cook until partially done. Stir in the crab meat.
5
Season the mixture with fish sauce, black pepper, and a touch of sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6
Transfer the warm shrimp and crab mixture to a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and cheese until well combined.
7
Fold in fresh herbs (Vietnamese coriander and Thai basil) and add chopped Thai chilies for heat to taste.
8
Add rice vinegar to taste for acidity and brightness.
9
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with additional cheese. Bake at 350-375°F until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes.
10
Remove from oven and garnish generously with fried shallots, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and maple blossoms if available.
11
Serve hot with tortilla chips, crackers, or bread for dipping.

Vietnamese-Inspired Crab Dip

Ingredients

Steps

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