Crab-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

For awhile now, Juli and I have thought about making twice-baked potatoes.  We both like them, but we hadn't had them in years, and had never made them.   Juli was particularly interested in having some that were stuffed with crab, as her parents had made in the past.  Unfortunately, her parents didn't have an actual recipe they'd used, and her mother was somewhat foggy on how they'd made them years earlier.  That being the case, we set about designing our own recipe.

As usual, we started by looking at some of the recipes available online and among our cookbooks.  We found a number of twice-baked potato recipes, but relatively fewer crab ones, and there were a fair number of differences between the various recipes.  We ended up using a recipe for Crab-Stuffed Potatoes submitted to Allrecipes.com by Ruby Williams as our starting point, then customized that recipe by incorporating some ideas from other Allrecipes member comments, then adding a few touches of our own.

We were really, really pleased with the results.   Our potatoes took a little while to make, but most of that was just baking time.  The prep was pretty easy.  In exchange for fairly minimal effort and a reasonable amount of time, we got rich, savory, cheesy potatoes stuffed with fresh chives and delicious bits of crab meat.   They were nicely browned on the outside and moist on the inside, and the skins and potato shells weren't the least bit tough or dried-out.   A definite keeper... we'll be making this again, for sure.   This recipe would be a great choice for company.

Crab-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

yield = serves 4 (as a meal) or 8 (as a side or appetizer)

4                large baking potatoes
4                ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4             cup unsalted butter
1/4             cup heavy cream
1/4             cup chopped, fresh chives
1                cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1                can (6 ounces) lump crab meat, drained
2                teaspoons minced garlic
1/2             teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2             teaspoon table salt
1/4             teaspoon paprika, plus extra sprinkled on top
1                pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until a knife slides into the potato with almost no resistance (about 50 minute).   Transfer potatoes to a wire rack to cool, then halve potatoes lengthwise.  Carefully scoop out most of the potato pulp, leaving a thin (1/4 to 1/8 inch) shell of potato inside the skin.  Put the potato pulp in a medium bowl; set potato shells aside.

Add cream cheese, butter, cream, chives, cheddar cheese, crab meat, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cayenne to the bowl with the potato pulp.  Mash these ingredients together until semi-smooth. 

Stuff shells with the potato mixture, sprinkle with additional paprika and transfer to a broiler pan.  

Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then switch on the broiler.  Broil the potatoes until they are lightly browned on top (about 4 minutes).  Remove from oven, let cool a couple minutes, and serve.

Scallops with Mandarin Oranges and Watercress

After the last time I prepared scallops went so well, I was eager to make scallops again.   This time around I went with a much different mix of flavors, though I did stick with a citrus element, since fruit flavors - and especially orange - go well with scallops.  

Looking for ideas, I found a recipe for Scallops with Black Bean Sauce and Watercress in the Spring 2011 edition of America's Test Kitchen's 30-Minute Recipes.  There were some elements to that dish that I liked, so I used that as a starting point in designing my own recipe.  Although I kept the watercress - something I've not really done much with in the past - and the black bean and garlic sauce, I ended up changing most of the other seasonings.  I also added some shitake mushrooms to give the dish more of a savory element, and (obviously) the mandarin oranges.

The resulting dish was quite good.   Neither Juli nor I liked it quite as much as we did the Scallops and Asparagus with Orange Sauce, but it was a fairly close second.  Sweetness (the scallops, sugar, ginger and mandarin oranges) was balanced by sour (the Chinese black vinegar) and bitter (watercress) overtones, with the bean sauce providing a bit of salt and, along with the mushrooms and garlic, a savory depth of flavor.  This made for a really satisfying meal.


Scallops with Mandarin Oranges and Watercress

yield = 2 servings

2            tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce
2            teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
1            teaspoon sugar
1            teaspoon cornstarch
6            tablespoons water
8            sea scallops (about 1 1/4 pounds), tendon removed
              salt and pepper to taste
3            tablespoons canola oil
2            ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
6            green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1            tablespoon minced ginger
1            teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
1            teaspoon minced garlic
1/8         teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2            cups watercress leaves
2            cups hot, cooked rice
1            small can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

Combine black bean and garlic sauce, black vinegar, sugar, corn starch and water in a small bowl.  Stir to mix, then set aside.

Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat two tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until starting to smoke.   Add scallops and cook until deep golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side until there is only the slightest hint of translucence along the edges of the scallops (about 2 more minutes, but go by appearance more than time).  Transfer scallops to a plate and tent with foil.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat, then add the mushrooms.  Cook 3 minutes, then add the white parts of the green onions.  Cook another minute, then add minced and grated ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook about 1 minute, then add the black bean sauce mixture and watercress and cook until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in the green parts of the green onions. 

Prepare individual servings by arranging four scallops atop a serving of rice and surrounding with mandarin orange slices, then topping with a helping of the sauce.  Serve and enjoy.

Scallops and Asparagus with Orange Sauce

Juli used to think she didn't like fish, or really any seafood other than shrimp and lobster.  This is mostly due to her having had mostly really badly cooked - or simply bad - fish.  It took some work on my part, but eventually I got her to try some good fish dishes, and over time the Waterfront Seafood Market & Restaurant has become one of her favorite area restaurants.  She's still been resistant to some other types of seafood, though, most notably scallops.  I set about trying to change that recently.

From what she'd previously said about scallops, I'm pretty sure that her previous experience had always been with ones that were overcooked.  The big problem with scallops is that the margin of error between them being undercooked, overcooked or perfectly cooked is really small... like, no more than 10 seconds either way.   Two things are key to overcoming this problem. 

The first key is that you have to know what to look for in determining when the scallops are properly cooked.  For sea scallops, if the scallops are going to sit any length of time before being served, they should be cooked until there is only the slightest hint of translucence along the edges, then transferred to a platter and tented.   The tenting will allow the residual heat to finish cooking the scallops.  If they are going to be served right from the pan, sea scallops should be cooked for about 20 seconds past when there is no longer a hint of translucence.   Each second beyond that point greatly increases the chance your scallops will have a texture akin to that of a superball.  The rules are pretty much the same for bay scallops, except that being smaller makes them even easier to overcook, so they should be cooked no more than 10 seconds past the point of no translucence (and preferably closer to 5 seconds). 

The other key is to prepare scallops that are as close as possible to the same size.  That's the best way to make sure they will cook at the same rate, assuming a pan that heats evenly.  If they differ too much in size, you are going to have to watch really carefully, and remove the smaller ones from the pan before the larger ones are done.   Since the margin of error is so small, this dramatically increases the risk that at least some of the scallops are going to turn into little, white hockey pucks.

After considering how I wanted to prepare the scallops, I decided to serve it up with asparagus (one of Juli's favorite vegetables) and a savory orange sauce, serving all that atop some rice.  Once I'd figured that out, figuring out the rest of the recipe was a snap.  Chicken broth and marmalade would form the basis of the sauce, soy would add some more savory flavor and garlic, red pepper flakes and grated ginger would add some flavor depth to the simple dish.   At the last minute I decided to use sticky rice instead of my more typical choices (basmati, long-grain or jasmine), to add a bit more body and texture to the dish.

This recipe cooked up really quickly, after fairly minimal prep time, and it turned out great.  The scallops were tender, not the least bit chewy, and contrasted nicely with the still-crisp bits of asparagus.  The sweetness of the scallops and the sauce went nicely with the sweetness of the sticky rice. 

Better yet, Juli really liked it.   I didn't really have any doubt she would, but it was sure a relief to have that supposition confirmed.  So, by making this dish, I not only added a new recipe to our repertoire, but I also expanded the range of seafoods Juli likes.  Not too bad for something that really took very little effort.

This recipe is fairly unusual for us, as it is designed to make only two servings.   Normally I like to make larger batches so we have leftovers, but scallops don't reheat very well, as they tend to get rubbery, and cooked scallops become inedible if frozen and reheated.

Scallops and Asparagus with Orange Sauce

yield = 2 servings

1/4          cup orange marmalade
1/4          cup chicken broth
2             tablespoons soy sauce
1             teaspoon cornstarch
1/4          teaspoon black pepper
2             tablespoons canola oil
1             teaspoon Asian dark sesame oil
8             sea scallops, foot removed, patted dry,
                  seasoned with salt and pepper
1             pound asparagus, trimmed, sliced on bias into
                  1 1/2 inch slices
1             teaspoon minced garlic
1             teaspoon fresh, peeled and grated ginger
1/8          teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2             cups cooked sticky (sweet) rice, cooked

Add orange marmalade, chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and black pepper to a small bowl.  Stir to mix thoroughly, then set aside.

Add the canola and sesame oils to a skillet over medium heat and heat until shimmering.  Add the scallops.  Sear on one side for 3 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, cooking until there is only the slightest hint of translucence along the edges of the scallops (probably about 2 minutes, but go with the appearance of the scallops, not the time).   Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add the asparagus to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes, then clear a spot in the middle of the skillet and add the garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook 30 seconds, then pour the marmalade mix into the skillet.  Stir to mix with the asparagus and cook until thickened, about 40 seconds.  Remove from heat.

To serve, top 1 cup of rice with four scallops, then spoon the asparagus and sauce around and atop the scallops.

Juli's Sea King Dinner

Juli's Sea King Dinner

1 stick                                     butter

1 cup                                      chopped onion

1 cup                                      chopped celery

8 ounce package                   fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon                            chopped garlic

1/2 cup                                  flour

1/2 teaspoon                        salt

1/2 teaspoon                        paprika

1/4 teaspoon                        cayenne pepper

1 14-ounce package             frozen cooked shrimp

2 6-ounce cans                     crabmeat, drained

1 cup                                      frozen peas

2 8-ounce cans                     sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup                                 cream sherry

2 cups                                    shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a 5-quart pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery, and mushrooms until the onion is translucent.  Add garlic.  Blend in flour, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper.  Cook until bubbly, then add shrimp, crabmeat, peas, water chestnuts and cream sherry.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Blend in the cheese, stirring until melted.  Serve over rice or Dutch rusks.

 

Notes:  For frozen shrimp, I always buy pre-cooked, deveined, tail-off shrimp. 

If you can find lump crabmeat as opposed to cans marked simply as crabmeat, you'll have a chunkier mix.  Regular canned crab is good, but tends to blend into the mixture so much you don't get any bursts of crab flavor.

Dutch rusks are available in Pella and in other high-end groceries and are basically just very, very dry toast, so you can always serve this over regular toast if you like.  I didn't have any rusks on hand, so I served it over cooked Basmati rice.

This recipe reheats all right from a refrigerated state using a microwave, but seems to lose some of the flavor when frozen before reheating, so I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.  Just plan on eating them up within a couple days. This recipe serves about 6-8 larger portions, taking into account that no side dishes are served. 



This recipe was adapted from the Sea King Dinner recipe in the Pillsbury's Bake Off Main Dish Cook Book of 1968.  There are lots of great recipes in this book, and I highly recommend it.  It's old enough that the recipes aren't larded with a lot of the expensive convenience foods that Pillsbury makes most of its money on these days,  and the casseroles in particular are really good.  Other recipes I like from this cookbook are Hungry Boys' Casserole and Chicken Almond Party Bake. 

This recipe is one that I rate at 5 stars, while Jeffrey rated it at just 3.  He didn't care for the sherry/shrimp combination, and I love it.  To each his own! No hard feelings.