Grosse Savanne Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

You go to Louisiana for seafood and outdoor sports, not for counting carbs or calories. That goes double at sportsman’s paradise Grosse Savanne near Lake Charles, where the bite is so good that you power through every post-meal food coma just to get back out there.

While our friends down on the bayou will cook and eat anything that swims, runs or flies — and use all of the non-edible parts for other purposes — they’re especially good with seafood. We previously offered up Chef Matthew Whitney’s recipe for pan seared soft shell crab over pimento cheese grits and shrimp en brochette. Here’s another one from his anti-Jenny Craig program, another true winner: Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes.

He says it serves four, but based on the portion size down there it might last your family a full week of Corona captivity. 

For the potatoes 

• 4 Large Russet Potatoes 

• Flakey Sea Salt to taste

• 1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

For the sauce

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds

• 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter 

• 1/4 cup Minced Garlic

• Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon 

• 2 tbs All Purpose Flour 

• 1 qt Heavy Cream

• 1/2 cup Dry White Wine 

• Dash of Nutmeg 

• 5 oz Boursin Pepper cheese 

For the Shrimp 

• 2 Lbs Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

• 1tbs of Toasted Sesame Seed Oil 

• 1/2 Stick of Unsalted Butter 

• All Purpose Seasoning* to taste 

• 1 Tbs Ground Ginger 

Garnish 

• Chives

• Lemon zest 

• Grated Gruyere 

Preheat oven to 350, with a brush, cover the tops of the potatoes with your sesame seed oil and sprinkle them with salt. Bake on 350 for an hour or until potatoes are cooked through. 

While your potatoes bake, start on your sauce. In a small skillet, toast your mustard seeds, be carful they’ll fly everywhere, then remove from heat.  In a melt your butter, once melted add your garlic and mustard seeds and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off your heat and add your lemon zest and flour, stirring with a whisk. Return to medium heat adding your heavy cream a little at a time until sauce thickens. Once thickened add your white wine, nutmeg and cheese and cook until cheese has melted.

In a bowl, mix together your shrimp, sesame seed oil and seasoning. In a skillet brown your butter, once browned add your shrimp and cook until done. Serve over potatoes and sauce.