Baking Potatoes

Use a potato with a high starch content …it makes for a puffier baked potato. Good starchy potatoes are: russet and Idaho.

Look for potatoes that have a smooth skin and no sprouts. Stay away from those with wrinkly skin or soft spots.

Store your potatoes in a cool dark spot away from your onions.

And don’t store them for months on end. A couple of weeks is what you should plan for.

The Ultimate Baked Potato

Use US # 1 Russets only, Idaho or Oregon are the best.

Don’t store below 55°F or the starch will turn to sugar.

Wash and scrub well. 3M makes a green scrubby that works well.

Pat dry.

Prick the ends with a fork to let moisture escape during baking. This will make the potato fluffy instead of gummy.

Oil or butter lightly. I like butter for flavor but will use bacon grease if available.

Season lightly with kosher salt and a few twist of the pepper mill on all sides.

Place on baking sheet, spaced 1/2″ apart and bake at 400°F for about 1 hour, depending on size. Potato will yield to pressure when done.

Cut open in wave shape with paring knife and squeeze ends. Serve immediately.

In a restaurant, you want to cook the potato 80%, keep it out of the heat and fire as the orders come in. They will take 8-10 minutes to finish and be just like a freshly baked potato. Potatoes that have been baked/steamed in aluminum foil and are being kept warm all day are the ultimate culinary derailment.

The potato should be crisp on the outside and mealy/fluffy on the inside. This will make for a baked potato where you will like the outside better than the inside and that is where the vitamins and flavor are anyway.