Guy Fieri Calls His Potato Skins "Hollowed-Out French Fries," and We're on Board

By Anna Monette Roberts
Courtesy Food Network
Courtesy Food Network

A Super Bowl app doesn't get more decadent than Guy Fieri's elevated potato skins, fried first before filled with prosciutto and brie cheese and baked until bubbly. In a recent interview, I asked Guy if there's any way to skirt around the whole "deep fry" bit. As good as it sounds, we're always on the hunt for a good shortcut. Guy responded with his signature humor, "You know, you're never gonna get the exact same level of crispy as a deep fry, but you also won't get the exact same results if you don't get on the treadmill. So, you're gonna pay the price somewhere." That said, he did offer this workaround, "Potato skins, once you cook them, and you let them cool and you take it out the center, leaving a good quarter inch of the flesh inside, if you drizzle with a little olive oil and you crank up that oven enough hot and drop them into a hot oven, at 425. Keep an eye on 'em; you could put a nice little crisp on 'em. It's never gonna be as crispy as deep frying it, but it'll give you a nice alternative."

Courtesy Food Network

Elevated Potato Skins

Cook Time1 hour 40 minutes
Yield4 servings

From Guy Fieri

INGREDIENTS

    • Canola oil, for frying
    • 6 russet potatoes, scrubbed and washed
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 2 leeks, cleaned, 1/4-inch dice
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 6 to 8 turns fresh ground pepper
    • 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
    • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
    • 8 ounces brie, cubed
    • 8 thin slices prosciutto, torn
    • 1/4 cup finely sliced chives

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Preheat 3 inches of canola oil to 350°F in a deep heavy pot.

    2. Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork. Place directly in the center oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

    3. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter, leeks, and 1 teaspoon salt and 3 to 4 turns pepper. Saute until the leeks are wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme and saute until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

    4. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Reserve the potato innards for another use. Allow to cool. Working in batches, fry the potato skins in the preheated canola oil until crispy and golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain.

    5. Arrange scooped-side up on a baking tray. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Fill the skins with the leek-mushroom filling, top with cubed brie and torn prosciutto.

    6. Place in the preheated 350°F oven and bake until brie is melted and prosciutto is crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with chives, and serve.