Maryland Crab Dip Pretzel

See, blue crabs are something every Marylander knows about and loves to be picky about.
For example, we see "Maryland Blue Crab Cakes" on menus outside of the state of Maryland and we chuckle. We know a Maryland crab cake. And unless you're actually IN Maryland, sorry to tell you this, but it probably ain't the real deal. A true Maryland crab cake is a golden patty of fresh chucks of white crab meat—no breadcrumbs. No neon orange-red outer skin. This recipe is not for crab cakes but you can get my favorite crab cake recipe here.

Possibly the most important part of enjoying a Maryland blue crab is appreciating where crabs come from. If you are eating blue crabs, that means someone likely woke up before the sun rose, and caught those crabs fresh.
I have many fond memories of my dad and I waking up while it was still dark, grabbing a pack of powdered donuts for breakfast, and hitting the neighborhood dock with our gear—some chicken necks, twine, a bushel, and a metal net.
We'd tie on about 6-8 strings of chicken, toss them in the Bay and over the course of a few hours, we had about a half a bushel of crabs. We'd take those home and if dad was lucky, he'd sneak a nap in before we steamed and ate them for dinner later that day. Catching the crabs yourself sure makes them taste extra good. 🙂

So let's talk about what to do when you don't live in Maryland.
Don't worry, you can actually buy canned lump crab meat in the seafood section of the grocery store. It will be refrigerated. If it's not refrigerated and/or it's next to the other fish, it's not what you want.
You can also tell by the price. A 16oz can of lump crab meat up here in Pennsylvania costs about $20. Sometimes it goes on sale for half price though. That's when I stock up! So keep an eye out for the sales.
If you're lucky enough to live in Maryland, you can get fresh lump crab meat from the deli. Score!

Old Bay: Crab's Best Friend. No crab recipe is complete without Old Bay. We keep a big container of Old Bay on hand for sprinkling on corn on the cob also. Need some? Shop Old Bay in bulk on Amazon

There are two ways to serve this appetizer. You can top soft jumbo pretzels with the crab dip so guests can break off or cut away pieces.
Or you can serve the dip in a bowl and offer soft pretzel bites for dipping. Your choice. The taste is the same, just a different presentation.

You can find soft pretzel in the bread aisle of my grocery store. You may be able to get some fresh from your bakery if you're lucky. I've seen soft pretzels in the frozen aisle as well.