Recipe: The Ultimate Baked Potato

Cookbook

The Ultimate Baked Potato

4 large, floury potatoes
1/4 cup coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) sweet butter
Freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a small brush, scrub the potatoes thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt. Pat them dry, then prick the skins all over with a small knife. Scatter the coarse salt into a baking pan and place the potatoes on top. Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, depending on size, until tender.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut a cross in the top of each one, and squeeze the potato gently to open it out. Top with the butter, cracked black pepper, and sea salt.

Baked Potato Fillings

Leek, Mustard, and Parsley

4 large, floury potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grain mustard
1 cup grated strong Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sweet butter
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bake the potatoes until tender, then cut a lid off each one. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin shell, and put it into a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the leek and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Add the leek to the potato flesh along with the mustard, Cheddar, and cream, and mix well. Finally mix in the butter and parsley. Season to taste, then return the mixture to the potato shells and reheat in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

Cretan Feta, Olive, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Oregano

4 large, floury potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) sweet butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup Greek feta cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons currants, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
and then drained
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
6 green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bake the potatoes until tender, then cut a lid off each one. Carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl, add the butter and oil, and mash lightly. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients. Fill the potato shells with the mixture and return to the oven for 5-6 minutes to heat through before serving.

Mozzarella, Basil, and Sunblush Tomatoes

4 large, floury potatoes
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 good handfuls of basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 onces sun-blush tomatoes, cut into small pieces (about 2/3 cup)
9 ounces buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1-1/4 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bake the potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a baking pan, pour the oil over them, and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden and caramelized. Remove the skins and mash the flesh coarsely in a bowl. Add the basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes, and season lightly.

Make an incision or a cross in the center of each potato and open it up. Fill with the cheese and tomato mixture, and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling.

Visit All About Potatoes featuring dozens of potato recipes

from:
A Passion For Potatoes
by Paul Gayler
The Lyons Press 2002
$24.95 hardcover; 176 pages
ISBN: 1-58574-463-8
Reprinted by permission.

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