Baked Potatoes with Crab

Last Year's Post: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus Pesto Sauce
Two Years Ago:   Sea Bass en Papillote

Valentine's Day is coming up.  If you're not going out to a restaurant, you may be thinking about a special dinner at home.  Maybe a nice steak?  If so, think about serving a delicious baked potato with crab on the side.  This recipe also stands very nicely alone as a main dish using a larger potato.  Either way, it's pretty special, not to mention easy.

You just make a regular baked potato, then scoop out the insides and mash them with some butter, salt and pepper.  I added spinach for color and nutrition.

Put the mashed potatoes back in the shells, and top it with the crab that's been tossed with lemon, chives, a touch of jalapeno and some sour cream. Sprinkle with parmesan and pop back in the oven for a few minutes to warm the crab and brown the cheese,

The jalapeno adds a hint of warm but isn't spicy when part of the complete dish, so adjust the amount up or down according to your heat preference.  Yum.

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Baked Potatoes with Crab

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side

2 large russet baking potatoes (main dish) or 4 small russet baking potatoes (side dish)

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the potatoes

½ pound lump crab meat

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus a few for garnish

½ small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

4 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped spinach

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450d.

Scrub potatoes under running water; dry them, and rub the skin of each with a little olive oil and a little salt.  Pierce the skin of each in three or four places with the tines of a fork.

Place the potatoes in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the potatoes.

While the potatoes are baking, lightly toss the crab meat in a bowl with the lemon juice, zest, 2 teaspoons olive oil, chives, diced jalapeno and sour cream.

When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and slice them open down the middle.  Use a spoon to carefully scrape out the flesh, leave a ½” thick shell.  Add the butter and spinach to the potato flesh and mash to combine; season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon the mixture back into the empy shells, place on a baking sheet, top with the crab mixture and sprinkle with cheese.  Return to the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serve, garnished with a few chives.