Baked Potatoes
Intro and Overview
I have eaten a lot of baked potatoes, some I have made at home and some I have ordered in a restaurant. Most were okay, but as a TV commercial proclaims, just okay is not okay. And what’s surprising, and disappointing, is that a lot of upper-class restaurants apparently don’t know the secret to a really good baked potato either. I suspect, truth be known, all too often, it’s more about fast and cheap, more so than, “Wow, what a great potato.”
Then again, if you are going to have a side dish with your entree, shouldn’t it be something you actually enjoy eating? Otherwise, you could tell the cook to just drop it into the trash basket on their way to the table. Bet that would raise a couple of eyebrows.
Fortunately, the other day, I happened upon a YouTube video that all potato bakers should watch. Yep, it’s a game-changer. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve wrapping the potato in foil or squeezing the potato to check for doneness. Sorry grandma.
Stuff You Need…
- Sheet Pan and Wire Rack
- Russet Potatoes, number and size as needed
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 2 Tbs Salt
- 1-2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
And Then…
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, wash and pat dry the potatoes, and pierce them several times with a fork.
In a pie pan or similar dish, add the water and salt, stirring until dissolved. Coat each potato thoroughly in the salt brine and transfer them onto the wire rack in the sheet pan.
In a large saucepan over low heat, add the apples, sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stirring occasionally, cook until the apples have softened, about 30-40 minutes.
Bake the potatoes until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
Lightly brush potatoes with vegetable oil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Top as desired and enjoy.