First, you need some taters. Russet potatoes
are the most popular for baking, either large or small. I like
small so I can eat a few. This way I get more tasty, crunchy
potato skin in my portion. Mmmmm..
You are also going to need some oil (Olive
or Canola oil are preferred, but any non-motor oil will work,
hehe) and some salt. Many people prefer Kosher, I use sea salt.
Any will do.
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Let's get to work! Clean your
potatoes with a stiff-bristled brush and cold water. In a pinch
the scouring side of a sponge will work, but be careful not
to skin your potates!
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After you've throughly cleaned
the potatoes, look them over and remove any bruises or miscolored
spots. I just dig them out with my finger nails.
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Using your average fork
work your way around each potato stabbing deeply into it's
flesh. 6-12 stabs should do it depending on the size of the
potatoes you are using. This allows steam to escape during
the cooking process.
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Your potatoes have now been cleaned
and poked. Dry them off with a paper towel and preheat the oven
to 350°F
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Take a small bowl and add just a splash of your
chosen oil, and have a container ready for the taters once they've
been oiled.
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The objective is to LIGHTLY coat
each potato with oil. How you do this is up to you. My method
is to lightly dab each potato in the oil and then use my hands
to spread the dab around the entire spud like so...
Then lightly salt each one and put aside as you wait for the oven to heat up.
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Now you should have a container full of cleaned,
poked, and oiled potatoes.
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Arrange them in a 350°F oven over a baking sheet to catch any drippings.
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Cooking time will vary from
1 hour and up depending on the size and quantity of potatoes
you cook. For the above batch the magic number was 1:15. The
skin should be puffed up, golden-brown and crispy, and the
potato should squish easily and be very soft on the inside.
Careful, potatoes retain heat for quite a while!
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To open a baked potato, take
your fork and stab a dotted line half way around a potato,
then using your thumb and index finger squeeze at both ends
of the line. It will pop right open.
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There you have it, easy and
delicious baked potatoes! Now that you've learned how
to bake a potato, you get to have fun dressing it with your favorite
topping and eating it! Yummmm..
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