Deep-Fried Potato Skins

Luc graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School. Top 10% of his class. Full scholarship to LSU for petroleum engineering. The ceremony was in the civic center, and when they called his name — "Lucas Joseph Beaumont" — I stood up. Not because I planned to. Because my body stood up. Because my son's name filled the room and my body responded the way bodies do when the thing they've been building for seventeen years is declared complete. Danielle pulled me back down. Pierre nodded from across the aisle. Mama cried into Angelle's shoulder. And Luc walked across the stage with the quiet confidence of a boy who became a man somewhere between the crawfish boils and the closed doors and the late-night gumbo at the kitchen counter.

I did a whole hog for the graduation party. Fifty people in the backyard. The pit at full capacity. Rémy ran the smoker. Colette ran the event planning. Danielle ran the universe. And I stood in my backyard, holding a beer, watching my eldest son accept congratulations from people who love him, and I thought: this is the roux. This is what the roux becomes. Not gumbo. People. The roux becomes people. The stirring becomes a boy who becomes a man who becomes an engineer who becomes the future. The roux is Luc. The roux has always been Luc.

When you’re feeding fifty people off a whole hog and the pit’s already working overtime, you need a side dish that can pull its own weight — something people can grab while they’re standing around in the yard, cup in hand, congratulating my boy. These deep-fried potato skins were that dish. Rémy kept the smoker running; Colette kept the trays moving; and these came out hot and crispy in batches all afternoon, the kind of food that doesn’t ask anything of you except to enjoy it. That’s what Luc’s day deserved — everything easy, everything joyful, everything exactly right.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup sour cream, for serving
2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce each potato several times with a fork, rub with olive oil, and bake directly on the oven rack for 45–50 minutes until tender. Let cool enough to handle.
Prep the skins. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then in half again to make quarters. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato attached to the skin. Reserve the scooped flesh for another use.
Season. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Brush the insides and outsides of each skin lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
Heat the oil. In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 3–4 inches of vegetable oil to 375°F. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
Fry in batches. Working in batches of 4–5, carefully lower potato skins into the hot oil using tongs or a slotted spoon. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
Load and finish. Arrange fried skins on a baking sheet, skin-side down. Top each with shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon. Place under the broiler for 1–2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with green onions and serve immediately with sour cream on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Deep-Fried Potato Skins — The Side Dish That Fed the Whole Beaumont Backyard