Important Potato Info from online news source The Onion

[Jenise]

Microwave-Resistant Potato Alarms Scientists

BOISE, ID—Tuber researchers from the Western Root Vegetable Institute reported Monday that they have discovered a strain of microwave-resistant potatoes. "Natural and commercial selection has resulted in strains of potatoes that just won't nuke up," said Dr. Bernard Anderson, standing in front of a Radarange in which a test potato had been rotating unaltered for 90 minutes. "If this mutation proliferates, it could have disastrous implications for the nation's impatient." The new strain is the most significant potato mutation since the emergence of the "inedible" frying potato, which is still in use at most fast-food chains.

Maybe, just maybe this will reintroduce people to the perfect baked potato. A perfect baked potato is not microwaved, but the perfect baked potato has crisp golden skin on the outside and is pure white and fluffy on the inside.

And it's not wrapped in aluminum foil.

[Jenise]

Maybe, just maybe this will reintroduce people to the perfect baked potato. A perfect baked potato is not microwaved, but the perfect baked potato has crisp golden skin on the outside and is pure white and fluffy on the inside.

Which you can't get in restaurants any more, I might add.

If at a restaurant I receive a baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil, I send it back to the kitchen with the remark that "the cook forgot to unwrap the potato".

Best
Rogov

[Jenise]

If at a restaurant I receive a baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil, I send it back to the kitchen with the remark that "the cook forgot to unwrap the potato".

Best
Rogov

And that won't even be the worst part. Even undressed, you'll have a steamed potato with, probably, that carry-over twice-baked flavor because it was initially cooked many many hours ago and has since re-amalgamated into a firmer, unfluffy/uncreamy texture that takes all the joy out of a good old baker.

And that won't even be the worst part. Even undressed, you'll have a steamed potato with, probably, that carry-over twice-baked flavor because it was initially cooked many many hours ago and has since re-amalgamated into a firmer, unfluffy/uncreamy texture that takes all the joy out of a good old baker.

Yup...and to add insult to injury a skin that is probably unsalted and almost certainly soggy! Fine restaurants don't do that.

Best
Rogov

The only baked potatoes I've ever gotten wrapped in foil were at Outback Steak House. The skin was crispy and I loved the olive oil and salt coating. Actually a great baked potato.

Why is it that the restaurants are not serving baked potatoes? I am so tired of my choices being served over garlic mashers. Have these restaurants not heard of grains? I've never seen Quinoa, Faro, Wheat Berries, and Israeli Couscous on the menu in the states in which we’ve traveled. When rice comes with a dish, it is usually bland. Although, last week one of our guests had a good coconut Arborio dish at a local restaurant.

[Jenise]

The only baked potatoes I've ever gotten wrapped in foil were at Outback Steak House. The skin was crispy and I loved the olive oil and salt coating. Actually a great baked potato.

Why is it that the restaurants are not serving baked potatoes? I am so tired of my choices being served over garlic mashers. Have these restaurants not heard of grains? I've never seen Quinoa, Faro, Wheat Berries, and Israeli Couscous on the menu in the states in which we’ve traveled. When rice comes with a dish, it is usually bland. Although, last week one of our guests had a good coconut Arborio dish at a local restaurant.

Never been to an Outback, but if the skin was crispy it wasn't baked in that jacket--it must have been added at service. I too am tired of garlic mashed--wouldn't be so much if the mashed were good, but usually, such is the garlic additive, they taste tinny or even fishy. I no longer even take a chance on them and go straight to baked or rice, but even then I tend to dislike the kind of restaurant where one gets a choice vs. restaurants where all the components on the plate are chosen by the chef to complement each other.

I dunno' Jenise. I scrub mine with a brush, poke several times with a fork,and pop them into a 375 oven for about an hour. The skin comes out pretty crispy.

[Jenise]

I dunno' Jenise. I scrub mine with a brush, poke several times with a fork,and pop them into a 375 oven for about an hour. The skin comes out pretty crispy.

In foil you mean? No foil, yes, I agree with you.

No foil.

I also throw my potatoes into the oven without foil on. If time is of the essence, I skewer them with a metal skewer, on the expectation that the metal will conduct the heat more quickly through to the centre of the spud.

I used to have a clay pot with a lid, which I would fill up with scrubbed potatoes and put into the oven. They were the best! Sadly, I broke the pot quite a while ago and haven't ever replaced it.

[Jenise]

No foil.

Okay, and that's what we're all saying. You just can't get a great crispy skinned potato by baking it in foil.

[Jenise]

I also throw my potatoes into the oven without foil on. If time is of the essence, I skewer them with a metal skewer, on the expectation that the metal will conduct the heat more quickly through to the centre of the spud.

That probably works. You can also put them in the microwave for a minute or two to heat them up before transferring them to the oven, that jump-starts the process by about fifteen minutes. That said, I bake mine for about two hours at 400F: crispiest skin EVER that shatters in your mouth, and innerds that are creamier than most people have ever imagined a russet could be. Well worth the extra time.

This may be a real stupid question but is it common to microwave "baked" potatoes? I've never even considered that and I guess I'd be surprised to hear people do this regularly (not people here, of course).

[David M. Bueker]

Tom,

Not sure how common it is, but some people do it.

I bake them in the over at 450 degrees for about 65-75 minutes after coating the skin with peanut oil, salt & pepper.

Yum.

Tom,

Not sure how common it is, but some people do it.

I bake them in the over at 450 degrees for about 65-75 minutes after coating the skin with peanut oil, salt & pepper.

Yum.

Now this sounds like my kind of baked potato! We love baked potatoes, but now I reserve them for those days when I am just too darn tired to cook....which is usually in the middle of summer when the heat has worn me out. Those are the days when I pull out a nice fat potato, a huge artichoke, and a beautiful plate of red and yellow toms picked from our garden. YUM

[Jenise]

Now this sounds like my kind of baked potato! We love baked potatoes, but now I reserve them for those days when I am just too darn tired to cook....which is usually in the middle of summer when the heat has worn me out. Those are the days when I pull out a nice fat potato, a huge artichoke, and a beautiful plate of red and yellow toms picked from our garden. YUM

We could eat together.

Tom, yes, quite common--most people I know (who aren't foodies) bake potatoes exclusively that way, and they consider them equal to oven-baked. How they can not note or care about the difference is beyond me. But it's so common that someone actually marketed a nuke-ready baked potato for the produce section (I know, because that's where I saw them)--scrubbed, dried and already shrink-wrapped in plastic. All you had to do was poke a few holes in it and press the button.

Tom, yes, quite common--most people I know (who aren't foodies) bake potatoes exclusively that way, and they consider them equal to oven-baked. How they can not note or care about the difference is beyond me. But it's so common that someone actually marketed a nuke-ready baked potato for the produce section (I know, because that's where I saw them)--scrubbed, dried and already shrink-wrapped in plastic. All you had to do was poke a few holes in it and press the button.

Jenise, supermarkets also sell salad makings and other vegetables already cut ready to dump in the salad bowl or dip tray or even in the soup pot if one wants. I can not even begin to understand why anyone would pay 2x the price for already cut up lettuce. Beside the price, I would rather try different some veggie crunchies in my salad. This kind of cooking(?) suits my wife to a T though.

This may be a real stupid question but is it common to microwave "baked" potatoes? I've never even considered that and I guess I'd be surprised to hear people do this regularly (not people here, of course).

Referring back to the original article and the word "impatient" answers your question. For those folks, 8 minutes in a nuker is much better than 45 minutes or more in the oven.

When I fire up the grill (whether charcoal or propane) I put some potatoes - oiled with EVOO and salted - at the back of the rack either when the charcoal is getting started or the gas is first lit to preheat the rack. Then as the meat goes on, I rotate the taters and allow to finish, creating a crispy skin and cooked insides.

When I fire up the grill (whether charcoal or propane) I put some potatoes - oiled with EVOO and salted - at the back of the rack either when the charcoal is getting started or the gas is first lit to preheat the rack. Then as the meat goes on, I rotate the taters and allow to finish, creating a crispy skin and cooked insides.

Robert, your method sounds a lot like mine, except I only use the gas to light the charcoal. When I am going to do steaks (for example) I get the grill up to 400 degrees, and in the meantime I scrub the potato skins, rub them with EVOO, and salt heavily with kosher salt. once the grill is stabilized at 400 I put the potatoes on the back of the grill. after an hour, I take them off (they are done) and open the draft door and the damper to get Hot Mama up to 650-700 degrees. I slap the steaks on for 2.5 to 3 minutes per side and flip taking them off no later that 7 minutes after putting them on, I keep the bakers hot in the oven at a minimal heat (170F) until ready to sit to dinner. the skins are crisp, but not burned as I roll them half way through the cooking/baking process. Happy eating.

This is how I tell people to cook a perfect baked potato. Actually my web page on this is one of the most visited each day. If you have any ideas or comments to add, they are welcome.


The Perfect Baked Potato:

Choosing Potatoes:
Any potato can be baked, but for the perfect baked potato with the desired flaky texture, it is recommended that mature, baking-type potatoes such as the Russet potatoes be used. Make sure that the skin has a nice even brown tone without a greenish cast. Inspect the potatoes thoroughly to make sure that there aren't any significant bruises, discolored spots, or sprouts. When baking a large amount of potatoes at one time, choose potatoes with uniform shapes and sizes; they'll cook more evenly and get done at the same time.


Prepare Potatoes for Baking:
Adjust the rack in your oven to the middle position and preheat oven to desired temperature (see chart below).

Rinse and scrub (I use a stiff-bristled brush) each potato under cold running water, as you will be eating the skins of these perfect potatoes. Dry each potato thoroughly.

Look the cleaned potatoes over and remove any bruises or discolored spots with the tip of your knife.

Pierce each deeply with a fork or sharp knife four times on each side at approximately 1" intervals. This will allow steam to escape during the baking. If you don't pick the potatoes, they may explode during baking in your oven. You don't want this to happen as it makes a terrible mess in your oven!

NOTE: Wrapping the potato in aluminum foil will produce a soft skin (not crispy), but technically this is steaming rather than baking (as the moisture in the potato remains trapped) and the light, flaky texture will be missing. The texture of a steamed potato is entirely different from that of a perfect baked potato. Save yourself the trouble and expense of wrapping in aluminum foil and serve perfect baked potatoes. My suggestion is to never use aluminum foil when baking potatoes!

For a soft skin, rub the potato with > olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter over the skins. NOTE: I like to roll the potatoes in coarse or kosher salt after rolling in the oil and before baking. Place coarse salt onto a small plate. Roll potatoes lightly in the salt. The skin is so yummy to eat!


Baking Potatoes:

Conventional or Regular Oven:
Medium-size potatoes (about 5 ounces or 150 grams each)

45 minutes at 400 degrees F.
60 minutes at 350 degrees F.
90 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. You can also test for doneness by gently squeezing the middle of the potato (using a pot holder). If it gives in easily to your touch, it is done. You can also use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F.


Convection Oven:
Medium-size potatoes (about 5 ounces or 150 grams each)

45 minutes at 375 degrees F.
60 minutes at 325 degrees F.
90 minutes at 300 degrees F.

Convection ovens cook up to 20% faster than regular ovens. Also, the food in a convection oven is cooked at a lower temperature than in a regular oven to achieve the same results. The general rule is to decrease your oven temperature at least 25 degrees lower than a regular oven. You can also use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F.


General Baking Information:

Bake on racks of oven until tender.

The higher the oven temperature, the shorter the cooking time will be and the crustier the skin. Larger potatoes will take longer to bake. Bake potatoes along with whatever else you are baking and gauge the cooking time according to oven temperature.

Turn the potatoes over halfway through the baking time to prevent browning of the undersides where they touch the oven rack.

Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. You can also test for doneness by gently squeezing the middle of the potato (using a pot holder). If it gives in easily to your touch, it is done.

When baked to perfection, remove potatoes from the oven. Slit across the top with a sharp knife. Gently pinch (squeeze) in each end of the potato towards the middle (using your thumb and index finger). The potato will pop oven loosen the fluffy white interior from the skin.


You now have a perfect baked potato - All you need to do is top it with your favorite topping and enjoy!