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You are here: Home / cooking / Cooking Tutorial: The Perfect Baked Potato

Cooking Tutorial: The Perfect Baked Potato

May 22, 2009 by Suzie the Foodie 13 Comments

My perfect baked potato


I know, “perfect” is such a subjective word. I guess I should say “my particular version of a perfect baked potato” but that is kind of long. You can not just throw a baked potato in an oven with some holes in it and then take it out and call it perfect, at least not in my books. I did some research and found out how to make a baked potato so that it is nice and crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside.

My perfect baked potato

After washing and pricking your potatoes with a fork, moisten a paper towel with canola oil and put a thin layer all over the potato. Sprinkle with kosher salt and put in a super hot oven (mine was 500F!) right on the rack and leave it there for an entire hour. If it is a small potato, bake for less time. A big potato like this one needs a whole hour.

My perfect baked potato

I learned this trick from the lovely Paula Deen. To make the potato all fluffy inside, cut down the top and then using your tongs (or fingers if you can handle the heat) crush the potato a little:

My perfect baked potato

Nice and fluffy on the inside, nice and crispy on the outside! From here you can fill it with whatever you want.

Considering it is getting hot here because spring has finally found us in Nova Scotia, I decided to bake potatoes last night because I have no idea when it will be cool enough to make them again. For those of you with a barbecue, you can use that instead of heating your whole house like I did.

There is nothing better than a perfect baked potato and if I am going to eat all those carbs and toppings, it better be the potato of my dreams!

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Filed Under: cooking, potato, tutorial, vegetable

Comments

  1. mrsb says

    May 22, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    I cook them exactly the same way, except I use olive oil instead of canola. I saw Alton Brown cook them this way on Good Eats a while back (or maybe I read it in his book?) and would never make a potato without the oil and salt again!

    Looks delish! Great photos!

    Reply
  2. Kenora says

    May 22, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    Very cool! I’ve read about the oil before, but never the salt. I confess I’ve been too lazy to try the oil in the past, but I’ll do it next time I do potatoes in the oven rather than the microwave! (Yes, I know, microwaved baked potatoes aren’t the same… but sometimes I want one in faster than the hour it takes to bake a real one.)

    Reply
  3. Tori says

    May 22, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Thanks for the tips! We don’t do baked potatoes often at my house, but next time we do this is how they’ll be made! The crushing with the tongs tip is neat.

    Reply
  4. Genie Sea says

    May 22, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    YUM! I will definitely try that next time! 🙂 Thanks Suzie 🙂

    Reply
  5. 5 Star Foodie says

    May 23, 2009 at 12:24 am

    Delicious! That baked potato does look pretty perfect!

    Reply
  6. Brandi says

    May 23, 2009 at 2:21 am

    mmm…you are so right…there is nothing quite like a perfect baked potato…especially if you get that bite that has the perfect balance of potato, sour cream, chive, butter and cheese (my fave toppings)

    Reply
  7. Chow and Chatter says

    May 23, 2009 at 2:23 am

    that does look perfect i like mine with tuna and mayo a British thing dont ask !!

    Reply
  8. peppylady says

    May 23, 2009 at 3:08 am

    Never new about doing bake pototo in the oven that hot or the salt.

    Coffee is on.

    Reply
  9. Shell says

    May 23, 2009 at 3:06 pm

    Yummy baked potato. I’m going to do the whole crushing technique to make it fluffy when I bake one soon. Makes me want some right now. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll have some.

    Reply
  10. aliceinparis says

    May 25, 2009 at 1:04 am

    Your tutorials are easy to follow and full of great photos and tips. I like tips! Great work Suzie!

    Reply
  11. Jamie says

    September 6, 2009 at 7:45 am

    Great advice, just doing it this way right now!
    I must admit, i used to do the same, but at 180 not 250.

    Reply
  12. Jamie says

    September 6, 2009 at 9:01 am

    Well, they turned out exactly as you have described.
    Crispy crunchy skins and lite fluffy centers, just perfect.

    Reply
  13. Suzie the Foodie says

    September 6, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    Oh I am so happy to hear the potatoes turned out great Jamie! That extra heat really crisps them up and yet the insides are still fluffy. Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate it.

    Reply

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