By Capt. Andy Martin – Strolling the Seattle Waterfront and Pikes Place Market after a recent fishery meeting in Seattle, my wife Sarah and I sized up several of the seafood restaurants on a busy spring evening, settling on an uncrowded fish and chip place that had a pretty extensive menu. Sarah ordered “Crab Toast” as we enjoyed a drink and waited for the fish dinner.

Although the amount of crab in the “Crab Toast” was fairly meager, the appetizer was impressively good. A homemade artichoke dip, with fresh Dungeness crab, served on a slice of broiled bread. We both agreed we had to make that with fresh Oregon Coast crab when we got home. It was the perfect combination of a crab melt, and crab artichoke dip. It has since become one of our favorite ways to enjoy local Dungeness, especially when served with a generous amount of fresh crab.

Crab melts, with a heaping of crab covered in cheese broiled for a few minutes have long been a preferred way to consume crab. Crab artichoke dips also have been a favorite treat as an appetizer. Serving the crab artichoke dip instead of just crab and cheese turns crab toast into a meal, and will surely impress dinner guests or visiting family, or just make a fairly simple meal with an amazing combination of flavors.

We usually make crab toast as a dinner meal, and save the leftover crab artichoke dip for a snack with crackers the next day. Visitors also love leaving with a container of crab artichoke dip to take home.

After making hot crab artichoke dip, simply cover a slice of bread (we usually use sliced French or sourdough) and broil for a few minutes. Served with a green salad or pasta dish, you have an exquisite meal that is actually a lot simpler to make than it appears. We like a combination of Monterey jack and Parmesan cheese, but white cheddar and mozzarella also work well with this recipe. Canned artichoke hearts packed in water are best for this recipe, not the marinated artichoke hearts purchased in a jar.

Crab Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

1 cup shelled crab meat

1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, chopped

2 green onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of lemon

Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Directions

While the oven is preheating at 425 degrees, stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the Monterey jack cheese, artichoke hearts, garlic, crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce ands green onion in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a squeeze of lemon.

Place the mixture in a baking dish, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Monterey jack cheese to the top. Garnish with parsely.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

The artichoke crab dip is ready to be enjoyed hot out of the oven. For crab toast, spread the dip over sliced bread, and broil for 1 to 3 minutes.

To catch local Dungeness crab, book a fishing charter with Brookings Fishing Charters. Learn more at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.