What does Crab Fest do with 650 pounds of potatoes?

Ask anyone at the annual Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Festival about the crab-stuffed potatoes and they will point you in the direction of Laura Griffith, who is affectionately known as the Crab Lady.

Griffith is one of several members of the Our Lady of the Gulf parish who help organize Crab Fest, which has become one of the largest events of the Independence Day weekend in South Mississippi.

As the temperatures hovered around 100 Saturday afternoon, Griffith could be found in an air-conditioned camper at the back of the church property. But just because Griffith was momentarily out of the heat, it was not an indication she was slacking on the job.

32 years of potatoes

Griffith said the crab-stuffed potato was the brainchild of a former parish member who started serving the hearty dish 32 years ago.

“When she left, I took over and I’ve been doing it since,” she said. “We mix them and bake them at our community center because we have a big mixer there.”

She said the delicacy is basically a re-stuffed baked potato.

“We cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides and refill them with the crab stuffing,” Griffith said.

‘It’s just good’

Griffin said more than 650 pounds of potatoes are used during the festival.

“This makes about 2,000 servings,” she said. “We have people who say they drive from all over the country to get the crab-stuffed potatoes.”

When asked why she thinks the dish has become so popular, Griffin said it’s all in the seafood.

“It’s just a good dish and people love the addition of the crab,”she said.

This story was originally published July 2, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "What does Crab Fest do with 650 pounds of potatoes?."