Cheddar Biscuit Lump Crab Dip

SAVORY

Mar 20

Chef Armani Johnson formerly of ABC Pony | Washington, D.C.

When Armani Johnson designed his first menu for the now-shuttered ABC Pony, he looked to his team for inspiration. As they shot ideas back and forth, a line cook suggested a crab pot, which got Johnson’s wheels turning. He liked the sound of crab, and that reminded him of a crab dip his mother would make for football Sundays. The restaurant had also been churning out Johnson’s cheesy biscuits for weeks and he figured, why not combine the two? “I thought we could do crab dip with cheddar biscuits baked on top. More like a casserole.” The dish starts with the lump crab dip—indulgent and warm with cream cheese, caramelized onions and leeks, lots of hot sauce, mustard, and Old Bay. For the biscuits, Johnson folds melted butter into an as-cold-as-possible dry mix. The dough is piped over the crab mixture and as it bakes, the shards of butter steam out to create flakey, lamination-like layers. A big scoop of the makeshift pot pie allows that soft, cheddar biscuit to soak up all the sweet and salty juices of Armani’s crab dip.

INGREDIENTS:

Cheddar Biscuit Batter:
Yield: 1 pound
1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup thinly sliced scallion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces butter, melted
1 ¼ cups buttermilk, chilled

Crab Dip:
Yield: 2 pounds
4 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated parmesan
16 ounces crab meat
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons black vinegar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt

METHOD:

For the Cheddar Biscuits:
In a mixing bowl, mix to combine dry ingredients, scallion, and cheddar cheese. In a separate bowl, pour melted butter into chilled buttermilk. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate.

For the Crab Dip:
In a medium-sized pot over medium flame, heat cream and cream cheese until cream cheese has melted. Remove from heat and add cheddar and parmesan. Stir to melt cheese. Stir in remaining ingredients.

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 350°F. Fill a ramekin with Crab Dip, then spoon or pipe Cheddar Biscuit Batter on top. Bake 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

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