Tom’s Mom’s Crab Dip
Makes 8 to 10 servings as an appetizer
Adapted from Tom’s Big Dinners (Morrow, 2003)

This easy to make, creamy crab dip is great for holiday get-togethers! Be sure to buy a premium, top-quality potato chip.

1 lemon
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon seeded and minced sweet red cherry pepper (from a jar of vinegar packed sweet cherry peppers)
2 teaspoons Rub with Love Crab Cake Mix, or more to taste
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
pound fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked over for bits of shell and cartilage with claw meat and large pieces of crab left whole
Potato chips

Grate the zest from the lemon, measuring out 2 teaspoons. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze, measuring out 1 tablespoon of juice and removing any seeds. (Reserve the rest of the lemon for seasoning the dip with more juice later.) Put the lemon zest and juice in a large bowl, add the tomato paste and honey, and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the mayonnaise, chives, cherry pepper, and Rub with Love Crab Cake Mix. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg. Add the crabmeat to the bowl and toss it with the dressing. Season to taste with more Crab Cake Mix and more lemon juice if needed.

Set a bowl of crab dip on a large platter and surround it with potato chips for dipping.