Perfect baked potatoes

MrsE_2

jackie_w wrote: »

Thanks everyone,

Do I wrap the potato in foil? If I do, do I wrap them loosely or tightly?


Jackie xx

I wrap them in foil so they cook properly without leathering the skin, then I take the foil off for the last 15 mins to let them crisp a little.

MrsE_2

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

I "zap" them first them wipe oil over them and finish them off in the oven.

The all-oven is best, but it does take a lot of time and costly energy. However, they can be done at the same time as other stuff, kept in the fridge or freezer and reheated later.

The combination microwave & oven method gives a reasonable result in a reasonable time for a reasonable cost.

I do this if I'm short on time;)

thriftlady_2

hotcookie101 wrote: »

I also think the dedicated "baking potatoes" the main supermarkets do are a little waxy (marfona I think )

My farmshop sells 20 kg sacks of Marfona and I find them to be particularly floury, and often huge -just perfect for baking. I can't wait for the main crop to be lifted, I'm sick of new potatoes.

The Potato Council disagrees with me about how floury they are, but they have a brilliant site- check it out The Potato Council

juliapenguin

Rose Elliott talks about this thing called Bircher potatoes (I think) - a cross between roast and baked - cut spuds in half and place cut side down on an oiled tray and bake in the oven - takes less time (obviously) plus you get a nice crispy roasty side as well as the normal baked bit. We love them like this - I do them in the Remoska like this too. Yum yum - must have them tomorrow!

madnessandmayhem

I stab mine all over them ut them in the oven on about 180 ish for about 1 1/2 hours-yummy!!!

i've got one in the ovven now-my favourite is to do diced chicken or turkey with a couple of table spoons of clear honey and a couple of tablespoons of wholegrain mustard-cover the uncooked chicken in it abnd leave for about 1/2 hour then cook it for about 30 mins-yummy!! i do this with jacket spud, corn on the cob and a big dollop of coleslaw!!

ooohhh i can't wait for mine to come out of the oven now!!

jamesb1239

I dip in the used oil in the fryer, !!!!! a few times pop in a plastic bag and in the microwave for 5 mins then into the oven (a local chef showed me that way ages ago and it just kind of stuck)

PasturesNew

I make baked spuds in the microwave using my steamer ... because the resulting consistency of the spuds is more like the fluffiness of when they've been done in the oven.

I have a small microwave steamer (small thing about 2-3" high).

I put water in the base of the steamer, cut two spuds in half, place them white side up, sprinkle with salt, nuke for just over 5 minutes; flip them over, nuke for 5 minutes; flip them over, nuke for 3 minutes and then leave them sitting there for another minute or two.

Much nicer imho than simply wrapping them in paper towels and nuking them (which is how I used to do it)

I can never use the oven because it takes 30 minutes to get up to the right heat - and I would be heating an entire oven for nearly 2 hours just to bake one potato, which would be a complete waste.

SailorSam

PasturesNew wrote: »

I have a small microwave steamer (small thing about 2-3" high).

That sounds good, things don't do well in kitchen roll. Where did you get that from?

debtmuncher

cos i am on a diet i wrap them in tin foil as they are more moist that way and you dont really need butter/margarine

as a treat i do them without tin foil then put loads of butter in them lol. what i used to do in my younger days was to put a wee drop of butter on, mash it in a little hten eat that part, i would carry the process on till i got to the skin where i did the same again...all the butter would be dripping out..no knives and forks just eating the skin by your fingers. delicious!!

PasturesNew

SailorSam wrote: »

That sounds good, things don't do well in kitchen roll. Where did you get that from?

The first one I got from a shopping outlet I was wandering round, cost £4. Then last Xmas I spotted one in Tesco for £3 and bought it as a gift for somebody I know that is nuts about microwaving everything and I knew they didn't have one.

Here's the Tesco one (says £2.20 at the time of writing) http://www.housecharm.co.uk/items/80-580205157/Microwave-Steamer.html

It was just in the cookware section