By Blog post about Mother's Day and three generations of cooking, most-shared post ever, community response overwhelming. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
That Sunday’s she-crab soup reminded me that crab — the sweetness of it, the way it anchors a dish — is the thread that runs through every gathering in my kitchen. After the overwhelming response from the community and the emotion of that Mother’s Day week, I wanted something I could bring to a table full of people, something easy enough to share and rich enough to feel like an occasion. This crab appetizer mold has that same coastal warmth, the kind you can set out and watch disappear, bowl by bowl, love by love.
Crab Appetizer Mold
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes (plus chilling) | Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cans (6 oz each) lump crab meat, drained and picked over
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- Crackers or sliced baguette, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until fully combined and creamy.
- Fold in the crab. Gently fold the drained crab meat into the cream cheese mixture, being careful not to break up the lumps too much. Stir in the green onions and parsley. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Mold and chill. Lightly oil a 3-cup mold, ramekin, or bowl. Spoon the mixture in, pressing it gently to fill evenly. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the mold to set.
- Unmold and garnish. When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the mold. Place a serving plate over the top and invert firmly. Lift the mold away. Garnish with a sprinkle of Old Bay, a few parsley leaves, or sliced green onion.
- Serve. Arrange crackers or sliced baguette around the mold and serve immediately, or keep chilled until your guests arrive.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 145 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 310mg