Feb 13, 2012

Potato skins


Childhood memories can be a funny thing. What you may have though as your entire universe back then can pale into comparision to how you view things as an adult. Restaurant meals were a rare event when I was growing up. These happened only on the most special occasions. I remember my mother would read through the details of every dish on the menu and order something she considered different and foreign for the time.


I can't remember what the occasion was when I discovered what I thought was the height of sophistication...the bacon and cheese potato skin. We were out for a meal and the adults had ordered a platter of these crispy, cheesey potato skins. I remember them being placed in the middle of the table and they were all lined up neatly on their large platter looking all golden and delicious. The first bite of into one of these crunchy little jems was glorious! So as a child this is what I considered to be pretty up there when it came to dining out.



We were heading out for drinks at a neighbour's recently. Wondering what type of finger food to bring along given these neighbours had fairly traditional tastes, the potato skins were once again transported from the past into my thoughts. And with that, I decided to make these little appetisers, once the height of cuisine and now a retro flashback.


None the less, these were perfect little finger food to have with our chilled glasses of wine.

Has this happened to you? Which food or dish do you remember fondly from childhood?


Baked potato skins with bacon & cheese
Serves 6


Ingredients:
6 large potatoes
8 rashers short cut bacon, diced finely
1 cup grated cheese ( I used reduced fat tasty cheese)
250g sour cream (I used the light version)
Zest of 1 lemon & juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup chives, finely sliced
S&P

1. Place potatoes on an oven tray and bake at 180C for an hour. Test with a skewer to ensure they are cooked. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
2. In a non stick pan with a little olive oil spray, fry the bacon until crispy.
3. Cut the cooked potatoes into quarters length ways. Taking a spoon, scoop out the potato flesh leaving about ½ cm attached to the potato skin.
4. Place potato skins on an oven tray lined with baking paper.
5. Top each potato skin with bacon and cheese. Add S&P to taste.
6. Place the tray under a hot grill. Grill until golden and the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with the sour cream mixed with lemon zest, lemon juice, chives and salt.

12 comments:

marthameetslucy said...

I love potato skins. Of course, anything with bacon is going to be delicious.

yummychunklet said...

These look delicious! I would make them "kid memory friendly" for me by making the potatoes tater tots!

john@heneedsfood said...

My family rarely went out for dinner when I was young, like yours. In my early teenage years we occasionally went to Sizzler, when it first came to Australia and this was the place I had potato skins for the first time. I loved them! Your version with cheese and bacon would be delicious!

Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy said...

I used to order these from a cafe when I was first allowed to go shopping with my friends by myself at the age of about 12! Thanks for the flashback! :)

Hotly Spiced said...

Now that is something I haven't tried but should have! They look delicious. We didn't eat out much when we were growing up either. A favourite meal from my childhood would be schnitzel with homemade hot chips.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

I've always loved potato skins! Something about crispy skins filled with bacon and cheese and sour cream-what's not to love? And I think your mum sounds great-she might have been a food blogger in her time if they had them! ;)

Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen said...

Lovely post, Anna. It brings me right back to my teenage years when I could afford to eat out with my babysitting money :) I thought potato wedges were the height of sophistication - and here you remind me what a treat they really were!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Mmmmhhh, those look delicious! I've never had potato skins...

Cheers,

Rosa

Martyna@WholesomeCook said...

YUM, you're making me hungry! My childhood food memory would definitely have to involve dumplings! Blueberry dumplings in supper when Mum and I would forrage for berries in the woods then make hundreds of dumplings together. And savoury filled in the colder months. Mmmm....

The Hungry Navigatrix said...

I've never had these but they look scrummy. I do have a retro guilty pleasure. My mum used to make smoked oyster vol-au-vents for parties(it was the 70s) and I recently replicated them and was transported back in time. They're so good!
I was lucky enough to grow up near Lygon Street so when we went out for dinner it was for pizza, always followed by a Tartufo ice cream. Happy times.

Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things said...

Yum. No other words needed!

Elizabeth@Mango_Queen said...

I love potato skins. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing the greenslove!