Although Lorenza Aznar is not a Maryland native, the executive chef of Annapolis’s Sailor Oyster Bar fell in love with crab pretzels the first time she ever tried them. She was 21 and “it was sometime after midnight at Davis’s Pub in Eastport,” Aznar recalls. “It was the perfect comfort food with after-work beers: cheesy, hardy, and covered in the salty spice of Old Bay.” Following that encounter, Aznar was hooked, and made it a priority to get her hands on a pretzel whenever possible.
For those who have never tried the Maryland staple, it’s a doughy pretzel that’s been split open, smothered with crab dip, and then broiled with cheese on top. Old Bay seasoning is the prominent, salty flavor that emerges beyond the gooey cheese and sweet chunks of crab meat.
The problem with making crab pretzels from scratch, especially during Maryland’s muggy summers, is twofold: one, you have to turn on the oven, and two, humidity means soggy bread. Aznar’s solution? A crab dip recipe she makes on the stovetop and serves with hard pretzels.
“The celery seed, paprika, mustard, cloves, cardamom, and ginger in Old Bay impart an incredible symphony of flavors that bring out the notes of the nutty Swiss cheese and the natural sweetness of the crab,” Aznar says of her recipe. To cut through the dip’s richness, Aznar also includes a mignonette, and sprinkles sherry over the finished product. All told, “it really brings back all of those flavors that complement the bounties of the Chesapeake Bay,” she says.
Crab Pretzel-Inspired Crab Dip Recipe
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
For the mignonette:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon salt
1 large shallot, minced
For the dip:
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
7½ ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
4 ounces cream cheese
5 ounces (1¼ cups) grated Swiss cheese
2½ ounces (½ cup) grated smoked mozzarella
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning (plus more to taste)
Salt and pepper
1 pound crab meat, picked over
Minced chives or parsley, for garnish
For serving:
Utz Classic Sourdough pretzels
Ritz crackers
Hot sauce
Dry sherry
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the mignonette. Combine the vinegar, ¼ cup water, peppercorns, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the minced shallot in a small, non-reactive container and pour in the hot vinegar mixture. Let stand for 30 minutes before using or store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent and tender, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the Velveeta and cream cheese and stir until melted. Add the Swiss, smoked mozzarella, and Worcestershire sauce and cook, whisking frequently and adjusting the heat if the mixture begins to burn on the bottom of the pot. Cook until the mixture is smooth, 3 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the pot from the heat and season with Old Bay, salt, and pepper to taste. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Add the crab meat and stir to combine.
Step 4: Transfer the crab mixture to a non-reactive 6-cup capacity baking dish and bake until the center is bubbly hot, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with extra Old Bay, chives or parsley, and a few flicks of dry sherry, if desired.
Serve the dip with pretzels and crackers, with the mignonette and hot sauce on the side.
Justin Tsucalas is an award-winning photographer and owner of Plaid Photo, a Baltimore, Maryland-based studio.
Creative director and set designer Giulietta Pinna specializes in visual content creation for commercial and editorial food, interior, lifestyle, product and still life projects.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning
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