Pilar Valdes' Issa Crudi-Rae (Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show)
ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp neutral tasting oil (vegetable or avocado work great)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp hot paprika (or substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper)
- 2 1/4 tsp 2 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (full fat)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp granulated onion
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 10-12 oz mixed fresh crudite (we recommend different colors of vegetables!), like celery, rainbow carrots, blanched asparagus, cucumber, and even chicories such as endive or radicchio
- 1 tbsp finely minced chives (optional)
prep
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and season with salt, pepper, hot paprika, and 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until onions are fully softened, golden and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
In a blender, add the water, yogurt, cream cheese, granulated onion, garlic powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. (We recommend that order specifically; starting with the most liquid ingredients at the bottom helps your machine out!) Blend on low until fully combined. Add the caramelized onion mixture. Blend until combined, but a few specs of onion are still visible. Check for seasoning and add salt or pepper if desired.
To serve: Divide the dip among your serving vessels, and place crudité inside. Garnish with chives, if using. (This can be assembled up to 3 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator before serving.) The dip will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator, in a tightly sealed container.
PRO TIP: We love placing our crudité in a bowl full of ice water to crisp them up to maximum crunch and freshness. Drain and pat dry before using.
When entertaining, I love to start things off with some sort of dip. You can make it ahead, and it's always a crowd pleaser. For this recipe, we've taken inspiration from one of Drew's favorite things, an Onion Soup, and made an Onion Dip. We caramelize onions with some hot paprika and Worcestershire sauce, and to lighten things up, we use a yogurt base and serve it with some colorful, fresh seasonal crudité! You can absolutely serve this in a bowl with a platter, but if you want to dress things up, try serving it in individual glasses for your guests. PRO TIP: The dip tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have been able to meld even more.
