As we were preparing for the beginning of show season and deciding what dishes we will serving our customers in the following months all across the country, I was busy trying to figure out a new hot dish to serve in place of our tried and true (and always well received) Maryland Style Hot Crab Dip. The key to the dish is that it is delicious (of course), rich, creamy, a little cheesy and has just enough spice to not only bring you back for another bite, but also not overpower our delicate crab met. The other big part is that it seems to appeal to all sorts of restaurant concepts and I always joke with our customers that will sell a lot of beer because what goes better with a hot cheesy crab dip than and ice cold beer. Well, it was time for a change and the inspiration was from of my favorite Texas taco spots, Torchy’s and their highly addictive queso dip. If you have ever spent anytime amount of time in Texas, you know how to quickly combine a package of Velveeta with some Rotel tomatoes in a bowl and after a few minutes in the microwave all you need to do is grab some chips. Well Torchy’s takes theirs to another level by layering in roasted green chilies, fresh chilies and cilantro, among a few other ingredients. This led to our new Crab & Green Chile Queso! Velveeta, sharp cheddar, Mexican spices, fresh cilantro, lime juice, roasted green chilies and both fresh and roasted jalapenos. Finish with some of our crab meat at the last minute and you have got a killer hot dip. The response so far has been excellent and we hope to see our crab queso on menus across the country.
More to come,
Chef John
