Seafood Baked Potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash and thoroughly dry the Russet potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt. Prick each potato several times with a fork, then wrap individually in aluminum foil.

Bake the wrapped potatoes for 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

While the potatoes bake, season the peeled shrimp with olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, and all-purpose seasoning. In a large skillet, melt a portion of the unsalted butter with a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned shrimp for approximately 3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Remove from heat; chop half of the cooked shrimp into bite-sized pieces and reserve the remaining whole shrimp.

Using the same skillet, melt the remaining unsalted butter. Add the minced shallot and chopped mirepoix, sautéing until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Deglaze the skillet with dry white wine, ensuring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the liquid to reduce by half.

Pour in the heavy cream. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, crab boil seasoning, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the crawfish tails and gently combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes, thickening slightly. Stir in the lemon juice and shredded Italian mixed cheese until completely melted and the sauce is smooth.

Carefully remove the baked potatoes from the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut each potato lengthwise. Gently scoop out the soft potato flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving a thin layer of potato in the skins to maintain their structure. To the scooped potato flesh, add sour cream, milk (or heavy cream), and the remaining unsalted butter. Mash until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chopped shrimp, shredded Colby Jack cheese, and shredded three pepper cheese. Season with garlic powder and additional salt to taste.

Spoon the prepared potato filling back into the hollowed potato skins. Top generously with additional shredded cheese, a ladle of the rich crawfish cream sauce, the reserved whole seared shrimp, and a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions.