Baked Potato with a Fluffy-Crunch!

Baking the perfect potato has been my lifelong crusade; often ending in disappointment. I usually get a stodgy interior and rarely a crispy skin. This recipe originally included a two-hour bake!

Mercifully, I adapted the original 2-hour bake time in half, and am happily sharing this marvelous fluffy-crispy baker.

Work with russet potatoes, about 8 ounces per spud.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Score each potato, 1/4 inch deep to form a cross
2. Microwave for 5 minutes
3. Preheat oven to 400º
4. Bake them for about 50 minutes, temperature should be at about 200º then deepen the cross cut another 1/4 inch deeper and press in the ends to puff up the interior
5. Spray with oil and salt skins and interior generously
6. Bake for about 10 more minutes

Serve immediately to preserve crispy skin. If the skins soften, spray or brush on oil and bake for a few more minutes

Potatoes are one food group that requires generous salting to bring out flavor. “Salt is what ruins potatoes, if you leave it off.” – Paul Harvey

PLANNED-OVERS: British Baker Home Fries: The Best!

Plan on baking a few extra; I don’t leave my toaster oven half empty. Keep them in a paper bag in the fridge to help preserve the skins. Halve lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices. In a hot skillet with some oil or lard and a light dusting of baking soda, spread them in a single layer and leave for 3-4 minutes without touching them—which forms a beautiful crust. Flip and season with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and some smoked paprika [or any combination].

Instant read thermometer is a great new tool. This is a serious tool with a thermocouple which reads within 1 second, to a 1/10 of a degree! It will change the way you cook. Use when cooking meat and delicate fish to a proper temperature without overcooking. I hope some day baking recipes will be updated to tell when the bake goods are done at a certain temperature, rather than use a toothpick to guess. I use the Thermoworks model, there are several brands now on the market.

Recipe adapted, Home Fries recipe by B. Hettig