Sweet potato fries fit for the sea
The unmistakable flavor of Old Bay seasoning is the key ingredient in many seafood dishes north, south and west of the Chesapeake Bay, particularly anything to do with crab and crayfish.
But phooey for me, I’m allergic to a few ingredients in this classic blend. So I came up with my own version.
The first dish I made with it was these New Bay Sweet Potato Fries. It was a very good choice. Don’t expect these fries to get super crispy — sweet potato fries have a hard time doing that, especially in the oven. But what they lack in crispness they make up for in soulful flavor and warm color.
Don’t worry about perfect potato sticks. You’re not entering a French fry-making contest. The easiest way to get nice long fries, however, is to peel the potatoes, cut them lengthwise into ¼-inch slabs, and then stack those up a few at a time and cut them into ¼-inch-thick sticks.
I keep empty dried herb and spice jars to store various blends and rubs that I make. Just use a jar that contained one of the seasonings you are including in your blend, and make sure to label the jar.
Then get ready to have some fun with your New Bay Seasoning (and you’ll have some left to play with after you make the fries).
Some uses for this blend:
•Crabcakes, of course.
• Added to flour and used as a coating for fried or baked seafood, fish or chicken. Dip the item in beaten egg or milk first.
• Added to jambalaya, gumbo, and other Creole or Cajun dishes.
• Blended with sour cream or mayonnaise for a fast and easy dip for cooked shrimp.
• Mashed into potatoes, or cauliflower puree.
• Stirred into eggs before scrambling.
• Sprinkled over olive oilbrushed pitas, baked, and cut into triangles for appetizers or snacks.
• Added to egg salad and deviled eggs.
• Used as a rub for fish, seafood, chicken or pork — think pork loin, kebabs, whole roast chicken or pieces (over or under the skin).
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, familyfriendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100. com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100. com.