I will gladly admit to occasionally craving a food in the “junk food” category, and that food is potato chips! Fortunately I don’t crave them too often, since they are not a healthy food choice, but I love the crunch and the saltiness of chips. (And salt and vinegar chips?! Heaven.)
So when I saw this Justin Chapple recipe online at the Food and Wine website, I was intrigued! It’s a lobster dip topped with crushed potato chips, that’s served with more potato chips! And specifically, kettle-cooked potato chips, which are cut thicker and therefore more crunchy!
If you’re not familiar with Chef Justin Chapple, you will be soon. In spite of looking 16 years old, he’s done just about everything with regards to food, including authoring two cookbooks and is presently the culinary director-at-large of Food and Wine. Impressive.
I use a lobster product occasionally from Wild Fork Foods that is an 8 ounce packet of wild-caught North American lobster pieces; 2 packets, or 1 pound, cost $24.98, which I find quite reasonable. Simply thaw and use in lobster rolls, pasta, bisque, salads, etc.
New England Lobster Dip
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup snipped chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound cooked lobster meat, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/2 cup crushed kettle-cooked potato chips, plus whole chips for serving
Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a medium bowl, blend the mayonnaise, cheese, 1/4 cup chives and the lemon juice. Fold in the lobster and season with salt and pepper. Scrape the dip into a small shallow baking dish and scatter the crushed potato chips on top.
Bake the dip for about 15 minutes, until hot and lightly browned on top.
Serve with kettle-cooked potato chips.
This dip was good, but I think I’d rather eat lobster freshly poached, served with butter.
And as for the potato chips? I’ll eat them as is. But I think I should have crushed the potato chips more that topped the dip.