The Baked Potato

[fifi]

Oops. I remember those things. My mother had one that someone gave her. I think she "threw it in the yard" declaring it the dumbest thing she had ever seen. We always just threw them in the oven on the rack alongside whatever else was in there.

[Marlene]

Turning puts "grill marks" on two sides. No other reason, I mean it's an OVEN for goodness sake!

Which brings me to the long-ago-discussed stovetop "potato baker" that we of a certain age remember from our childhoods. At least, I remember it. Anyone else besides Sandra Levine?

I hate to date myself, but my mother had one too.

[Mayhaw Man]

Preheat overn to 375F

Wash Potatoes

Poke a few holes in them with a fork

Put potatoes directly on bottom or middle rack

Turn after 30 minutes (over and end to end, it might be an oven for God's sake, but still turn them )

Remove from oven at end of one hour and enjoy a simple delight

I like them with butter, a little salt, and lots of black pepper

[snowangel]

(Snowangel: never in a million years would I tell YOU that you are doing anything wrong.  Besides, when the craving suddenly hits, I too have been known to nuke a potato    I just don't refer to it as a "baked" potato then.)

You will note, however, that post nuking, they always go either into the oven or the toaster oven. I would not eat a plain nuked potato. That crispy skin is what it is all about.

I neglected to say that I always use coarse sea salt or kosher salt after buttering. I am a purist and unless I'm doing twice baked, it is butter and salt only as the "dressing." and, it must be Hope Butter.

Edited to add: if I don't get that crispy skin, I want a boiled new potato (preferably small with thin red skin and locally grown). But that's another topic.

Edited January 28, 2004 by snowangel (log)

[jmcgrath]

Sometimes, I cut in half lengthwise, cross hatch about 1/4" deep, butter heavily, and bake. Cross hatch up, of course.

Jim

[tommy]

poke, microwave for 8 minutes, on the grill to finish.

if i'm not in a hurry: poke, right in the oven on the rack.

to paraphrase emeril, we're not buildin rocket ships here folks. we're just heating up a potato.

[Mottmott]

I'll hate myself for saying this. I know I'll jinx myself. I'll ruin my long lifetime record... Oh, my, well, dare I say it?

[Whispering, looking over my shoulder...] I never poke the potato. It never blows up.

[Brad Ballinger]

Russets. Scrubbed. Coated with duck fat or butter and kosher salt. Pierced through with a potato rod. 400 degrees for an hour or so.

[bleachboy]

Duck fat!!! OMG

That said, I do mine at 450 degrees for 45 minutes -- is that wrong? For some reason, I thought that's how everybody baked a potato. Rubbed with oil and heavily salted (which is mostly for presentation but also to flavor the crunchy skin).

[col klink]

Scrub and clean well then throw right into a 450 oven. After 25 minutes, THEN poke holes and finish off for another 20 minutes. This will result in a very fluffy baked tater instead of a dense baked tater.

[Suzanne F]

I'll hate myself for saying this. I know I'll jinx myself. I'll ruin my long lifetime record... Oh, my, well, dare I say it?

[Whispering, looking over my shoulder...] I never poke the potato. It never blows up.

BOOM!!!!!!!

[Mottmott]

I'll hate myself for saying this.  I know I'll jinx myself.  I'll ruin my long lifetime record... Oh, my, well, dare I say it? 

[Whispering, looking over my shoulder...] I never poke the potato.  It never blows up.

BOOM!!!!!!!

[marie-louise]

One trick for twice-baked potatoes: after you take the cooked potato out of their skins, put the empty shells back in the oven for 10 minutes before stuffing & reheating. the potato skins get nice and crispy that way.

I bake at 400, no foil. I have these aluminum spikes (inherited from my mother) that I put in the middle of the potatoes-it is supposed to help them cook evenly. I have no idea if that works, it's one of those things that I do because that's the way Mom did it. Although now that I think about it, she really wasn't much of a cook...

[jsolomon]

Why not just get some stainless forks at Goodwill and use those?

BTW, I have seen truly profane

things done to potatoes. *shudder* By my father.

[Toliver]

One trick for twice-baked potatoes: after you take the cooked potato out of their skins, put the empty shells back in the oven for 10 minutes before stuffing & reheating. the potato skins get nice and crispy that way.

I saw this done recently on an episode of "America's Test Kitchen". It sounds like an excellent tip!

I bake at 400, no foil. I have these aluminum spikes (inherited from my mother) that I put in the middle of the potatoes-it is supposed to help them cook evenly. I have no idea if that works, it's one of those things that I do because that's the way Mom did it. Although now that I think about it, she really wasn't much of a cook...

My mom has those spikes, too. Usually, though, they just sit in the drawer. Do they cause the potato to dry out excessively where it makes contact with the skewer? Or is it just a matter of bringing the heat from the outside to the inside?

[bloviatrix]

I bake at 400, no foil. I have these aluminum spikes (inherited from my mother) that I put in the middle of the potatoes-it is supposed to help them cook evenly. I have no idea if that works, it's one of those things that I do because that's the way Mom did it. Although now that I think about it, she really wasn't much of a cook...

My mom has those spikes, too. Usually, though, they just sit in the drawer. Do they cause the potato to dry out excessively where it makes contact with the skewer? Or is it just a matter of bringing the heat from the outside to the inside?

My mom has those spikes as well. She claims the metal gets hot and radiates from the inside out rather than having the heat penetrate from outside in.

[Lori in PA]

I worship with a congregation that has several members who drive long distances each week to be with us -- over an hour in many cases. Some of us who are more local take turns each Sunday hosting what we've come to call "Open House": we open our home to give whoever wants to a place to spend the afternoon between morning and evening worship so they don't have to drive all the way home and back. Lunch is a potluck.

For tomorrow's Open House at our home I've announced we'll do a baked potato bar. We're providing the baked potatoes, of course, and it occurred to me to ask here what is the very best method to get really good results. I own an average Kenmore range with a time bake feature. I expect to be baking around 25 potatoes, which means I'll probably have to use both racks. Potatoes are Green Giant russets, average size. About the baking, can anyone give me a step-by-step tutorial? Specifically, I'm wondering:

--how to prep? Scrub, I know, but prick? In foil or out? I think out, because I'd like to rub them with some kind of fat and salt the skins. I think I should grease them before baking, but should I salt them before or after they're cooked?

--Baking time and temp? With the time bake feature, I can do just about anything, so what is best?

[Marlene]

Definately pricked with a fork, scrub, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Do you have convection? If so, convection bake at 350 for 45 minutes or so. If you don't have convection, 350 still, but assume an hour for cooking.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Potato Baking:

potatoes

food-quality rock salt 

a deep baking dish or roaster

The salt does NOT make the spuds salty! It just creates a comfy oven that leaves the spud fluffy, and the skin crisp and golden.

* wash spuds well; prick several times; dry.

* apply thin coating of vegetable oil (Pam works well; butter can burn.)

* pour rock salt to cover bottom of pan

* plop in spuds, pour salt around and between and over; tuck and pack to make sure they're snuggled in

* bake at 425 for 1 hour; remove from oven.

* brush top salt layer aside; remove spuds w/ tongs; brush away surface salt

* serve w/ toppings of choice

* let salt cool; it can be used 10 or more times."

The rock salt absorbs moisture from the potatoes and makes a flakier spud.

source

[OnigiriFB]

GG - Can you do it with kosher salt?

[maggiethecat]

I'd go with Marlene's directions but skip the olive oil rub. I personally think the skin (my favorite part) is crisper unoiled.

What a good idea for feeding a crowd.

[Marlene]

Maggie, especially in a convection oven, the olive oil helps to crisp the skin. (my favourite part as well!). It works just as well in a regular oven though I swear.

[Lori in PA]

I don't have a convection oven. Is there going to be any problem with having them on two levels? I won't be home to do any switcheroo operations.

[Marlene]

Shouldn't be a problem, although it's good to be able to turn the potatoes over if you can, once during baking.

[JEL]

if you can, try finishing some over a charcoal grill........

and do a few sweet potatoes too........