Recipe #53 - Crab-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are great in and of themselves. But they're even better when dressed up with additional ingredients. For an example, check out our Recipe #32 (Veggie Bakers).

This recipe ups the ante by adding a little decadence: crab meat. We first tried this recipe several years ago, having lifted it from an ad by the Washington State Potato Foundation. It was originally created by Kathy Casey, one of Seattle's better-known cooking legends. We altered it a bit to make it "our" recipe, but it was certainly inspired by the one we found in the magazine ad.

The freshness and quality of the crab you use in this dish is critical. Very fresh crab meat is sweet and delicate, but crab that's been sitting around too long can turn this recipe into an unpleasant affair.

Makes four servings.

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and punctured with a fork

8 scallions, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup lowfat milk
1/4 lb. neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. canned diced jalapeno peppers
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
3/4 lb. very fresh high-quality crab meat
1 8-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts

Extra asiago or other cheese for topping the spuds.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the potatoes in the oven and bake until very tender and cooked through. Start checking on them after 45 minutes by pulling a spud out and sinking the tip of a sharp knife into the center. If the potato offers any resistance, put it back in the oven and keep checking every five minutes or so. After you're sure the potatoes are well baked all the way through, remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 10 or 15 minutes.

While the spuds are in the oven, heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the green onions, and saute for a couple of minutes just until they're cooked but not browned.

Meanwhile, add the frozen artichoke hearts to boiling water and cook for a few minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool quickly. Chop them into bite size pieces.

Mix together in a large bowl the milk, cream cheese, mayo, jalapenos, garlic and cooked scallions.

After the baked potatoes have cooled a bit so you can handle them, cut the tops off lengthwise and scoop out as much potato flesh as you can, leaving a thin shell that can stand on its own. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the crab meat, chopped artichokes and asiago cheese.

Using a large spoon, put the potato mixture back into each baked potato shell. Sprinkle additional cheese on top of each spud. Put the potatoes back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden and the spuds are cooked through.

Other than a simple green salad, you don't really need anything more than this to make a first class meal.