Crab-Stuffed Potatoes -- The Potatoes That Hold the Whole Meal Together

Second week of March and St. Patrick's Day is nine days away and the corned beef is in the fridge doing what corned beef does in a brine. I have been making this meal since I was old enough to help my grandmother in the kitchen, and I make it now the same way she did: the corned beef, the cabbage, the potatoes, the carrots, the smell that fills the apartment and makes it feel like every March kitchen I have ever stood in.

Liam is obsessed with Nora this week in a specific way -- he wants to hold her hand constantly. Not possessively, just companionably. He takes her hand and walks her somewhere and shows her things and explains them. Yesterday he took her to the window and pointed at the street and said "that's the street. Cars are on it. Don't go on it." Nora listened with the seriousness of a student. She is being taught by her brother. He is three weeks from three years old and already teaching. I don't know what I expected. This is what I expected.

James at work had a bad week -- I can say that much without specifics. We have been floor partners for five years and the weight of this year shows differently on everyone. We ate lunch together on Thursday and mostly didn't talk about work, which is the right thing to do sometimes. I brought leftover soda bread. He brought chips. We ate at the break room table in the eleven minutes we had and it was enough. Friendship at work requires different math than friendship outside it. You learn to make the time count.

Liam's birthday party planning in progress. Outdoor at my parents'. Fire truck cake confirmed. Guest list: both sets of grandparents, my aunt Peggy, four of Liam's friends from the neighborhood. Scaled but real.

The potatoes are already on my mind this time of year—they go into the corned beef pot, they show up at my parents’ table, they are just part of March the way the smell of brine is part of March. But some weeks I want the potato to be the whole point, not a supporting role, and that’s where this recipe earns its place. After the kind of Thursday James and I had—eating chips and leftover soda bread in eleven minutes in the break room—I came home thinking about food that takes its time and gives something back, and crab-stuffed potatoes are exactly that: slow, generous, worth the wait.

Crab-Stuffed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces lump crab meat, drained and picked over
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of paprika, for topping

Instructions

1. Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub each potato with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the skins are crisp and a fork slides through the center with no resistance. Let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Scoop and mash. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop the flesh into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Set the shells on a baking sheet.
3. Make the filling. To the potato flesh add butter, sour cream, and warm milk. Mash until smooth and creamy. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar, the green onions, garlic, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Fold in the crab meat gently so it stays in pieces.
4. Fill the shells. Divide the filling evenly among the potato shells, mounding it slightly. Top each with the remaining cheddar and a light dusting of paprika.
5. Bake again. Return the stuffed potatoes to the 400°F oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown at the edges.
6. Garnish and serve. Scatter additional sliced green onions over the top and serve hot, straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 680mg