Lump Crab Twice Baked Potatoes recipe and Pomme Frites recipes
Potatoes are used year-round in everyday dining. They are very versatile and filling. With the many ways to cook potatoes, it seems that different people excel at different recipes. Many recipes are referenced by who we know who makes those recipes best. As in “Mom’s potato salad”, “Aunt Millie’s potato casserole”, or “Brian’s whipped potatoes”. If you are Mom, Aunt Millie, or Brian, you may get bored with these recipes throughout the year. Luckily, foodie trends rotate through flavors and techniques in cooking just about anything including potatoes.
Luckily, foodie trends rotate through flavors and techniques in cooking just about anything including potatoes.
A trending menu item in upscale restaurants is Pomme Frites or the menu may just say Frites. Pomme Frites is crispy Belgium style French fries. To get the right crispiness, the potatoes must be fried twice. How thick or thinly the fries are cut is completely up to who is prepping the potatoes. Just remember to allow for a longer cooking time when frying thicker cuts of potato. I like dressing up my Frites recipe with parmesan and chopped parsley. After the Frites are nice and seasoned, I serve them immediately with a horseradish and mayonnaise dip for a lovely kick.
Twice-baked potatoes have been around for years. I have made them traditionally in the past. But with the work and effort put into making the perfect potato boat for the filling, I decided that a baked potato bar is much easier and allows guests to dress a potato the way they like best. But since making Lump Crab Twice Baked potatoes, I will spoon out potato “meat” all day long just to be able to eat one. They really are that good. I will never cook a traditional twice baked potato again.
Add these recipes to your repertoire for new twists on the classic potato. Who knows? Someone may start calling one of these recipes your very own best potato creation.
Lump Crab Twice Baked Potatoes 2 to 2 ½ lbs. russet potatoes, ¾ to 1 lb. each ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup milk 2 tbsp. chives, chopped 8 oz. lump crab meat ½ cup butter 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 2 tsp. crab boil seasoning, separated 2 tbsp. olive oil or melted butter, optional 1 cup Colby cheddar, shredded Chopped chives for garnish
Preheat oven to 350. Wash potatoes under cold water with a potato brush. For smaller portions, use smaller potatoes equaling 2 pounds. Bake potatoes on a baking sheet for 1 to 1 ½ hour until tender. Allow potatoes to cool for at least 30 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the potato “meat” reserving a ¼ inch thick layer of potato lining the potato skin. Place the scooped out portions of the potato in a glass mixing bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until hot. Heat milk and cream in the microwave or on the stove just to a boil. Pour the hot milk and 1 tsp. crab boil seasoning over the potato “meat”. Beat with a hand mixer on low until smooth. Melt ½ cup butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Fold in 1 tsp. crab boil, garlic and crabmeat in the melted butter for 1 minute until hot. Fold buttery crab meat and chives into the whipped potato “meat”. Taste to see if more crab boil seasoning is desired. Fold potato “meat” until butter and seasonings are incorporated. For a crispier potato skin, brush melted butter or olive oil on the outside of the skin before filling the potato halves. Fill potato halves equally with whipped potato mixture. Top each half with cheese. Return potatoes to a 350 oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped chives.
Parmesan Frites 2 lbs. russet potatoes 4 cups peanut oil 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper ¼ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped ½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. prepared horseradish or horseradish cream
Scrub potatoes clean with a brush under cold running water and pat dry. Slice unpeeled potatoes lengthwise in ½ inch wide planks. Slice the planks lengthwise into ½ inch strips. Heat oil to 350 degrees over medium heat in a deep fryer or heavy stockpot. Fry potatoes in 4 batches for 4 to 5 minutes each batch. Remove each batch and set aside to drain on paper towels. Fry each batch again for 2 more minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove each batch from the oil and set aside to drain on paper towels. Once the last batch is out of the fryer, place all Frites in a bowl and toss to coat with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. In a separate small bowl, mix mayonnaise and horseradish to create a dipping sauce. Serve hot Frites and fresh dipping sauce immediately.
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