Lobster Potato Skins

Recipe courtesy of Chef David Knickrehm of Bella Aquila.

Recipe Ingredients:

18 Idaho® Ida Rose potatoes
3 Idaho® Russet Burbank potatoes
1 lobster
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
white wine as needed
4 ounces butter - divided use
2 ounces sour cream
1 large egg yolk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. Halve the Ida Rose potatoes. Using a melon baller, remove the center of each potato half and store in cold water. Use the scoop to hollow out the rest of the potato halves. Deep fry the potato shells and reserve.
2. Halve and clean the lobster. Use chopped onion, celery, carrots (mirepoix) and wine with water to create 2 quarts of court-bouillon. Poach the lobster halves (approximately 4 minutes). Remove the lobster and allow to cool in a shallow pan under refrigeration. Remove the meat from the lobster body, returning the shell and any scrap to the court-bouillon. Reduce the lobster stock to 1 quart, strain and reserve hot.
3. Peel the russet potatoes and dice the flesh. Boil the potatoes in the court-bouillon until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain the potatoes, reserving the starchy lobster stock. Poach the potato balls in the starchy liquid for about 10 minutes.
4. Mash the cooked russet potatoes with 2 ounces butter and 2 ounces sour cream. Season the mash to taste.
5. Melt the remaining 2 ounces butter and sauté the cooked potato balls with seasoning. Add large egg yolk and starchy potato-lobster stock to mashed potatoes until you have a pipeable consistency.
6. Reheat potato skins in the fryer and season.
7. Pipe in the lobster mash (duchesse) and bake for 3 minutes at 425°F (220°C) to set the potatoes.
8. Top the lobster duchesse with a little shredded lobster meat and finish with a lobster poached potato Parisienne.

Makes 36 appetizer servings.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission.