The potato is one of nature’s most flexible gifts to cooks – a culinary chameleon, if you will – with versatility matched only by its delectability.
We’ll never know what possessed the first Peruvian housewife to yank a potato plant from the ground, examine the dirt-cloddish tubers and exclaim, “Boil the water, Juan, we’re having these puppies for supper.”
Much later, when first given the chance, Europeans nearly failed to grasp her vision. If it hadn’t been for a determined botanist named Antoine-Auguste Parmentiere and his efforts to dispel French doubts in 1771, we might still be using the potato for a houseplant.
And then where would we be?
Well, for starters we’d be without potatoes Anna, potatoes Lyonnaise or dutchess potatoes, fancy mashed potatoes chefs are fond of squirting out of pastry bags for garnishing.
Worse yet, can you imagine picnics without potato salad? Fish without chips? Room service without hash browns?
Possibilities for this humble tuber are as rich as the imagination. For instance, once it dawned on cooks that a baked potato didn’t have to be a culinary cul-de-sac, the twice-baked potato cult was born. They make wonderful party fare, because they’re so do-aheadable. The only attention they need during your event is a last minute reheating.
When designing a stuffed spud recipe, be creative. All sorts of fresh vegetables, meats and cheeses work. Some people like to saute the ingredients in a little olive oil or butter before mixing with the spud. Some folks love lots of sour cream. Others prefer yogurt. It’s between you and your diet.
Stuffed potato primer
There are plenty of options beyond the classic cheese-bacon-sour cream rendition. So I thought it’d be fun to provide you with an inspirational springboard.
To the scooped-and-mashed potato flesh, consider adding any of the following ingredients. Then, pile the mixture back into the potato shells and bake in a 400 degree oven until hot and golden brown. If you brush the tops with a bit of butter before baking, they’ll brown more gracefully.
Remember, most of the potato mixtures can be prepared and stuffed back into the jackets and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking and serving. I’ve noted the exceptions below.
* Sliced leeks that have been sauteed in a bit of butter or olive oil, along with some chunks of ham, shredded Swiss cheese and a splash of cream.
* Sliced mushrooms, sauteed to a deep golden brown in olive oil with a healthy dose of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, white pepper, and brandy or sherry.
* Steamed broccoli florets; mix with the scooped-and-mashed potato flesh, along with grated sharp cheddar cheese and a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese.
* Steamed asparagus tips that have been sauteed in butter along with minced yellow onion, then combined with the scooped-and-mashed potatoes, bits of ham, shredded provlone and heavy cream.
* Diced tomatoes, torn fresh young arugula leaves and crumbled blue cheese; the tomatoes don’t do well overnight in the fridge, so mix up this filling right before baking.
* Diced tomatoes, crumbled crisp-cooked bacon, chopped green onion and sour cream; the tomatoes don’t do well overnight in the fridge, so mix up this filling right before baking.
* Season the scooped-and-mashed potatoes with ground cumin, then combine with salsa, frozen (thawed) corn kernels, and shredded Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese.
* Combine scooped-and-mashed potatoes with an equal amount of steamed and pureed root vegbetable such as rutabagas, turnips, parsnips or celeriac, then stir in a bit of melted butter, salt and pepper to taste.
* Combine scooped-and-mashed potatoes with an equal amount of shredded zucchini that’s been sauteed in a bit of butter; add salt and pepper to taste after filling, along with a topping of grated Gruyere cheese.
* Chopped up left-over chicken (or turkey, or pork, or steak), herbed Boursine or other flavored cream cheese spread and chopped green onion.
* Roast a head of garlic by slicing off the top pointy end, inverting into a puddle of olive oil on a roasting dish and roasting in a 350-degree oven until tender when squeezed; peel away the papery outer covering from each clove; place the peeled cloves back in the roasting dish mash with the back of a fork (use the olive oil that roasted along with the head of garlic) into a chunky puree; stir this into the scooped-and-mashed potatoes, along with a bit of cream.
* Roast a sweet onion by slicing it into 8 wedges lengthwise through the root and stem end, arranging the slices in a roasting dish, drizzling with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; roast at 375 degrees until golden; puree the mixture and stir it into scooped-and-mashed flesh, along with a bit of melted butter, sour cream and Parmesan cheese.
* Frozen peas (thawed) with ham!
* Fresh-cooked Dungeness crab meat, shredded cheddar cheese, melted butter and chopped green onion.
* As a zippy side-dish to corned beef, combine the scooped-and-mashed flesh with well-drained sauerkraut, a generous dash of yellow mustard, sour cream and shredded Swiss cheese.
Other thoughts
Before stuffing potato shell halves with a potato mixture, you can create a crunchy shell: For 8 potato shells, in a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons safflower oil, a dash of hot pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 finely minced large clove of garlic; place your scooped out potato shells on a baking sheet and brush on both sides with the oil mixture; bake in a very hot oven (500 degrees) until crisp, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
I like to bake at least 1 extra potato so I have more flesh to work with.
Don’t limit yourself to russet (“baking”) potatoes. Large Yukon gold potatoes have a nice texture and slightly sweet-and-nutty flavor.
Bobby’s savory stuffed potatoes are perfect with steak. The chilies add a surprising dimension of flavor.
6medium russet potatoes, baked and cooled
1/2pound soft goat cheese
1/2cup sliced green onions
2tablespoons pureed canned chipotles in adobo sauce
2tablespoons butter
1/2cup whole or low-fat milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut off both ends and scoop out the potatoes, leaving the shells whole. Reserve the shells. Mash the potato flesh with the goat cheese, green onions, and chipotle puree.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the milk, then beat it into the potato cheese mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the reserved shells with the potato mixture. May be prepared to this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have the potatoes at room temperature before baking. Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until very hot. Makes 6 servings.
Adapted from “Bobby Flay’s Bold American Food,” by Bobby Flay
Chili and cheese-stuffed spuds
4large russet potatoes, scrubbed and baked
1/2cup chopped celery
3tablespoons butter
1cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2cup chopped green onion
3tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
2/3cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa or piquante sauce
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve each one lengthwise and scoop out all but 1/4 inch of the filling. In a large bowl, mash the potato well.
In a small skillet, saute the celery in the butter or olive oil until softened, then add to the bowl of potato meat, along with the cheese, onion, pickled jalapeno peppers, and 1/3 cup of the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mound the filling back into the potato jackets. Potatoes can be prepared to this point and refrigerated several hours or overnight before proceeding.
Twenty minutes before serving, place the potatoes in a 400 degree oven and bake until hot, 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, place a generous dollop of sour cream on top of each potato and then drizzle on some salsa or piquante sauce.
Serves 4 to 8.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can e-mail her at janrd@proaxis.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
