Appetizers With Crab

Crab Rangoon are ideal appetizers for Asian-inspired meals. To make the crispy, deep-fried wontons, create a rich filling using fresh, flaked crabmeat. Combine the crab with cream cheese, soy sauce, minced water chestnuts and chopped green onions. Fill wonton wrappers with the filling and fry them until they're golden brown. Serve a sweet and sour sauce alongside the crab Rangoon.

Please guests' palates with authentic-tasting homemade crab balls, smaller versions of crab cakes. Combine fresh lump crab meat, crushed, butter-flavored crackers or bread crumbs, mayonnaise, eggs, dry mustard, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings, such as salt and pepper, to taste. Instead of making large crabcake patties of dinner-size portions, roll them into smaller, Maryland-style crab balls to make them appetizer size. Pan-fry the crab balls until they are browned and serve them with a creamy lemon-dill sauce or ranch dressing.

For a creative twist on a classic favorite, stuff deviled eggs with fresh crabmeat. These easily prepared appetizers are easy-to-eat finger foods. Picky kids who turn up their noses at fancier cuisine will love these treats. Scoop the yolks out of hard-boiled eggs and mix them with shredded crab, mayonnaise or creamy dressing, mustard and seafood seasoning. Spoon the mixture into halved egg whites and sprinkle them with fresh parsley to garnish.

Warm crab dip is a delicious way to hold guests over until dinner is served. Create the simple-yet-tasty dip by blending fresh or canned lump crab meat, cream cheese, mayonnaise, canned artichoke hearts, lemon juice, chopped green onions and seasonings to taste. For the seasonings, try dill, oregano or ranch seasoning mix. Transfer the creamy mixture to a casserole dish and bake until it's bubbling. Serve the dip with carrot and celery sticks or crackers.