Potato Skins

It’s football time!!  Time for tailgating, home football parties, fantasy football, beer, and appetizers.  Oh yes, appetizers…those wonderful little bites of heaven. 

Every weekend in the fall, my family survives on appetizers.  And so we’re not blowing our budget at the bar, we make the bar come to us.  We often think about where we’d like to go to watch the game (based on what we want to eat) and then create the winner’s menu at home.   

Potato skins are a classic appetizer and can be found at most any bar.  When you make them at home, however, you can choose to stay classic or switch it up and play with the toppings.  You can also choose to stay classic and fry them or make them a bit healthier and bake them. 

To make potato skins, wash and bake potatoes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until tender; about an hour, depending on size.  You don’t need to prick the skins with a fork or knife; they won’t explode as long as you don’t bake them too long or on a high heat.  To test doneness, prick the potato (on the side) with a fork or knife and the potato will slide off when cooked thoroughly.

Allow potatoes to cool.  Once cool enough to touch, cut potatoes in half.  The key is to allow the potatoes to lie naturally and to turn them sideways when cutting them so the cut halves lay on their natural “back.”

After cutting potatoes in half, scoop out their innards, leaving enough potato attached to the skin so they stand up; about ¼ inch.  Save the innards to use for another dish; see my recipe for Twice Baked Scalloped Potatoes.

Now, you have two options.  You can deep fry the skins for about 7 minutes or until lightly brown or brush the skin side with oil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until starting to brown.  Either way, make sure you season the skins (both sides) with salt and pepper after cooking them.

Turn them potato side up and fill with your favorite toppings.  I like to stay classic and fill with bacon and cheddar, but you can mix it up and fill with taco meat and cheese or bar-b-q’d pulled pork and cheese or anything else your heart desires.  Return filled skins to the oven to melt the cheese and serve warm with your favorite cold toppings like salsa, ranch, or sour cream.

*To make at a tailgate, prepare the skins to the point of topping them, but do not top.  Pack toppings separately and top on site, grilling the skins to warm through and melt the cheese (best to do over indirect heat).

Crème Brûlée

I love, love, LOVE crème brûlée!  Maybe it’s because saying its name gives the illusion I speak French.  Maybe it’s because the world sees it as a sophisticated dessert and therefore, I feel chic and refined eating it.  Or, maybe it’s because it’s just plain delicious.

To be honest, I’d have to say the reason I am so head over heals for this little cup of heaven is because of all the reasons I mentioned above.  Let’s face it; calling this dessert burnt cream does nothing for its appeal.  And, I wouldn’t order plain custard at a restaurant.  Put that burnt sugar crust on top, however, and I’ll take one, no, make that two.

Follow my directions carefully to make sure you end up making crème brûlée instead of scrambled eggs.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Start by putting 1 pint of whipping cream in a sauce pan on the stove.  Heat it slowly until small bubbles form on the surface. 

While waiting for the cream to heat up, cream (beat) 4 egg yolks and ½ cup granulated sugar.  The egg mixture will be a light yellow color when it is ready. 

Slowly add a small amount of the hot cream to the egg mixture while stirring with a spoon.  Continue to add small amounts of cream while continuing to stir with a spoon until all cream has been added.  Make sure to use a spoon and not a wisk.  If you use a wisk, you take the chance to slightly whip your cream which will make the crème brûlée taste greasy.   

Lastly, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla to the custard and pour into six 6 ounce custard cups (I highly recommend pouring mixture through a mesh strainer to catch any cooked egg).  Place a baking pan in the oven and place the cups in the pan.  Add enough water to the pan so it comes half way up the side of the cups.  Bake until set, about 45 minutes.

Refrigerate until set or overnight.  Sprinkle each cup with approximately 2 teaspoons of sugar and using a kitchen torch or your oven broiler*, burn the sugar until it is light brown.  Serve cold.

* If using the broiler to char the sugar, make sure to allow extra time for the crème brûlée to chill again

** When making this recipe, I almost always double it.  Twice the pleasure without twice the pain :-)