Baked Potato: Cooking Instructions, Please

[Dynasty]

For no good reason, I decided to pick up some potatoes and have a baked one with my dinner tonight. However, I don't ever remember making one before. Usually, I would just get a bag of steak fries.

So, how do you cook a baked potato? I, of course, did a google search. Tonight, I'll be cooking at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes. It'll just be a simple potato- no fancy fixins.



http://www.lesexyshop.com/aa_photos/w74.jpg


http://www.amyslingerie.com/images-site/lingerie-logo.jpg


http://www.kbkids.com/g/toys/big/101861b.jpg

[Ulysses]

So there's really no question and this was just an excuse to post about you making a baked potato and posting some hot chick pictures?

Keep it up! More of the first chick, please!

[RunDownHouse]

For those on the go, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for about 10 minutes for a medium-sized spud.

[Dynasty]

It came out meh.

I think I'll go back to steak fries when I want some starch.

[tonypaladino]

Some recipes say to wrap it in foil. It comes much better if you cook them right on the rack. Enjoy with Salsa Sour Cream (http://www.friendshipdairies.com/products/info_sour_salsa.shtml)

[RacersEdge]

You might need a metal rod thingy to stick in the middle of the potato so the middle gets cooked enough.

[Bascule]

I give them 75 minutes. I imagine they weren't properly cooked through after just 50.

[dblgutshot]

Didn't feel like making a whole new thread, but anyone have any good quick sides or dishes to make with potatoes? For example breakfast hashbrowns? I can't seem to ever make them as good as any breakfast restaurants, then again i suck at cooking.

[ QUOTE ]
It comes much better if you cook them right on the rack.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd rub a tiny bit of of olive oil on em, then a good amount of coarse salt. Then simply poke em with a fork a few times and throw em on the oven rack - no wrapping required. I'm not sure about times... an hour, maybe a bit more, for a good sized spud.

The microwave trick mentioned earlier is good for quick baked spuds on the go.

[DougShrapnel]

Put potato in oven at 450. Go on vaction, when you get back it might be done.

[edtost]

[ QUOTE ]
Didn't feel like making a whole new thread, but anyone have any good quick sides or dishes to make with potatoes? For example breakfast hashbrowns? I can't seem to ever make them as good as any breakfast restaurants, then again i suck at cooking.

[/ QUOTE ]

chop up some bacon. cook it in a big cast iron frying pan. remove bacon. put in some chopped up onions. when golden, remove with a slotted spoon. take some sliced par-boiled potatoes and give them a quick browning in the leftover bacon grease, adding oil/lard/whatever if needed. add bacon/onions back in and mix, letting heat up for a while. if you want add some paprika/salt/pepper/whatever at this point; i don't add anything.

way better than any diner or whatever.

[ QUOTE ]
Didn't feel like making a whole new thread, but anyone have any good quick sides or dishes to make with potatoes? For example breakfast hashbrowns? I can't seem to ever make them as good as any breakfast restaurants, then again i suck at cooking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hashbrowns at restaurants suck, blend up a ton (you will need more then you think) of potatoes and put them in a huge frying pan with a ton of canola oil on medium heat. Mix alot and then after they are becoming clearer and not as crunhy, turn the heat on high to brown it. Then put a ton of garlic salt on it and your ready to go. They are usually more mooshy then Hash Browns at restaurants but I like them much better this way.

[ QUOTE ]
So, how do you cook a baked potato? I, of course, did a google search. Tonight, I'll be cooking at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oven about 450 degrees. Take some butter and rub the entire outside of the potato with it. Use some kosher salt and rub that onto the butter that's on your potato. Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the potato out, flip it over, and jab it with a knife a few times. Let is cook for another 30 minutes. That'll do it.

[Ray Zee]

first grab the oven door and put it in theposition it needs to be. then get it real hot. like 375 degrees. then take your potato and place it on a bed of your choice. rub the butt er all over until its greasy and your hands slide around ever so smoothly. then thrust your potato into the hot steamy oven until it is no longer hard. and remove slowly the soft potato with your hand. now dinner is waiting for you.

[ QUOTE ]
first grab the oven door and put it in theposition it needs to be. then get it real hot. like 375 degrees. then take your potato and place it on a bed of your choice. rub the butt er all over until its greasy and your hands slide around ever so smoothly. then thrust your potato into the hot steamy oven until it is no longer hard. and remove slowly the soft potato with your hand. now dinner is waiting for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was much better than the pics.

I don't make regular baked potatoes. I get a bag of some small red new potatoes. Cut them into quarters. Put them into a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever other flavors you want (I usually use either dill or paprika).

Put them into the oven at 450 for 15 minutes, then flip them over and put them back in for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

[DougShrapnel]

Another good way to cook a potato. Is if you have a lot of leaves. Rake them up. You should have enough leaves for about 6-7 hours of buring. Throw the potatos into the middle of the burning leaves. Cook unitl you are out of leaves. Potato skin should be chard black. Do not eat the skin. Cut open and season to taste.

[edfurlong]

This may or may not be clear to you.

Wash the potato!

[Hallett]

Preheat oven to 425 (Bake, not broin)

Wash said potato.

Stab several times with a fork.

Put said potato in oven.

Put timer on for 1 hour.

When the timer thingie dings, stab potato to test for doneness. It should be soft, and skin should be a bit crisp.

Eat.

[bobbyi]

[ QUOTE ]
This may or may not be clear to you.

Wash the potato!

[/ QUOTE ]
I was under the impression that washing potatoes is very bad because they soak up the water and that is bad for some reason (same tendency which makes them soak up oil, which is good for some reason) and you should just clean with a dry paper towel. Can anyone confirm?

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This may or may not be clear to you.

Wash the potato!

[/ QUOTE ]
I was under the impression that washing potatoes is very bad because they soak up the water and that is bad for some reason (same tendency which makes them soak up oil, which is good for some reason) and you should just clean with a dry paper towel. Can anyone confirm?

[/ QUOTE ]

I was under the impression that cooking something at 450 degrees for nearly an hour would kill germs/bacteria more effectively than washing it.

[ethan]

The following is from The Professional Chef. It's basically the textbook for the Culinary Institute of America, which is the best culinary school in the country (world?)
[ QUOTE ]
Low-moisture potatoes are generally best for baked potatoes, although yellow waxy potatoes also yield good results. Low- or high-moisture potatoes may be used for oven-roasting.

Scrub the potato well. For a relatively thick-skinned potato, a brush works well. For new potatoes, use a cloth. Blot the potatoes dry before placing them in a pan to prevent an excess of steam when the potatoes start to bake. Pierce the skin of the potato in a few places to allow the steam that builds up during baking to escape. Never wrap the potato in foil before baking; the result is similar to steaming. The skin will not become crisp, and there is a noticeable flavor difference. For the same reasons, baked potatoes cannot be prepared successfully in a microwave oven. Some chefs believe that baking potatoes on a bed of salt or rubbing the skin lightly with oil encourages the development of a crisp skin and delicate, fluffy interior.

For oven-roasted potatoes, scrub or peel the potatoes and cut them into the desiered shape. Toss in fat (fat and drippings from roasted meats, oil, clarified butter, lard, goose fat and so on) and season as desired with salt and pepper, fresh or dried herbs, or spices.

Equipment needs for baking potatoes are minimal. The only truly essential piece of equipment is the oven. Potatoes can be placed directly on the oven racks

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically - clean the potatoes, dry them, and rub with oil and/or salt. Poke them a couple times with a fork. Season them if you're feeling inspired - it's not that hard and they taste better. Cooking at 425 degrees it should take about an hour for a 6oz potato to cook - you're looking for the point at which there's no resistance when you poke it with a fork. It doesn't take too much longer for larger potatoes. Done right, a baked potato can be very good. Done wrong, the texture's unappetizing and there's no real flavor. Thankfully, it's not that hard to do right, it just takes some time.

[fluorescenthippo]

"it takes forever to cook a baked potato in a conventional oven. Sometimes I'll just throw one in there, even if I don't want one, because by the time it's done... who knows?...I'll throw a potato in and go on vacation." - mitch hedberg

[evil_twin]

You're not washing the potato to get rid of germs, you're washing it to clean off the bits of mud you cannot see to make it taste nice when it comes out. Oven cooked dirt might be clean but it doesn't taste nice.

And really, if you use an oven to make a baked potato and it doesn't come out nice then you need help. First scrub the potato lightly to remove the dirt, and then fork it in a few places. Then wrap the potato in aluminium foil for the first hour of cooking, this prevents the skin from getting over cooked while the middle heats up. After the first hour take the foil off and cook for another 45 minutes. Remove and prepare for the awesomest baked potato ever.

[TheRegulat0r]

Peel them.
http://www.davidmellordesign.com/acatalog/3882620_large.jpg
Put them in boiling water for a while.
Drain them.
Mash them up.
http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes/images/u-potmash-02.jpg
Add butter until smooth.
http://www.ourfamilycookbook.com/Photos/food/mashed.jpg
Add garlic or whatever seasoning(s) you like.
Mash some more.
Put it on a plate with a steak.
http://www.jrsbeef.com/images/steak2.jpg
Mix juices from the steak into the potato.
Eat.

Mashed potato > Baked potato.

[sleepyjoeyt]

chop potatoes into whatever size "homefries" you prefer.

Microwave until cooked thoroughly (hard to overcook)

Place in refrigerator / freezer to cool.

After potatoes are cool, place in fry pan with butter (or I Can't Believe Its Not Butter or similar alterative for a healthier version) and pan fry. After a few minutes and the potatoes are browning add Garlic and Pepper Seasoning (or whatever seasoning you like).

F'n great homefries.

[Blarg]

That picture is retardedly large.

Thanks for ruining this thread with that retardedly large pic. Now I have to sidescroll to read every post. You suck at posting images.

[ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ]
I was under the impression that washing potatoes is very bad because they soak up the water and that is bad for some reason (same tendency which makes them soak up oil, which is good for some reason) and you should just clean with a dry paper towel. Can anyone confirm?

[/ QUOTE ]
Incorrect. Scrub that potato for all it's worth. I even use a scouring pad to remove all the dirt. Makes for a crisper skin when rubbed with butter.

[Colonel Kataffy]

"I like baked potatoes. I don't have a microwave oven, and it takes forever to bake a potato in a conventional oven. Sometimes I'll just throw one in there, even if I don't want one, because by the time it's done, who knows?"

Rest in peace, mitch.

[Thythe]

[ QUOTE ]
"it takes forever to cook a baked potato in a conventional oven. Sometimes I'll just throw one in there, even if I don't want one, because by the time it's done... who knows?...I'll throw a potato in and go on vacation." - mitch hedberg

[/ QUOTE ]

This Mitch Hedberg quote has been used 3 times in this thread now, though you were the first to put the entire joke in.

[Mike Haven]

In Ireland, there is a popular way to have a baked spud (potato) ready for you at the end of a long trip.

Wrap up the spud in silver cooking foil and wedge it next to the hottest part of your exhaust pipe (muffler) under the bonnet (hood).

After about a fifty mile drive it will be cooked to perfection.

(Tip: If you're not going anywhere, simply drive round your own neighbourhood (block) for about an hour.)

A hedgehog (http://riehlworld.net/archives/images/hedgehog.jpg) (porcupine) can be cooked in the same way, only you should wrap it up first in wet mud. When you peel off the hard-baked mud the spines (quills) come off at the same time.

(Tip: Always think green, and keep back a spine to use as a toothpick (stick).)

[Blarg]

Remember also to keep one handy if you want to use it as a quick and dirty IRA type spud silencer. Just toss it away when you're done, though -- don't eat it.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
Didn't feel like making a whole new thread, but anyone have any good quick sides or dishes to make with potatoes? For example breakfast hashbrowns? I can't seem to ever make them as good as any breakfast restaurants, then again i suck at cooking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hash Browns:

Preheat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Peel a large baking potato and grate it onto a couple of paper towels. Wrap the grated potato in the towels and squeeze it over the sink until the water runs out. Put about a tablespoon or two of butter in pan (avoid burning), and put potatoes in, season to taste (onion powder, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever) and pat into a flat patty. Cook until browned, flip, add more butter, and finish cooking.


Garlic Home-fries (great with steak):

Peel a large baking potato and cut it into small cubes, about 1/2 inch on a side. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium, add olive oil to cover bottom, and add potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes, tossing often until lightly browned. While cooking, finely mince a couple of cloves of garlic, and mix with an equal amount of finely minced parsley. Sprinkle over the potatoes for the last minute or two of cooking.

[Blarg]

Foil-wrapped baked potatoes come out fine.

I'm also a big fan of mashed taters and home-fries. Home fries are a joy, especially if you cook them with a nice big onion and let them cook long enough to get some real caramelization going. Caramelized home fries and onions are glorious. Great side to scrambled eggs, too. Or anything else. Or even by themselves.

[Mike Haven]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Didn't feel like making a whole new thread, but anyone have any good quick sides or dishes to make with potatoes? For example breakfast hashbrowns? I can't seem to ever make them as good as any breakfast restaurants, then again i suck at cooking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hash Browns:

First, put on my apron.

http://www.spiralandcircle.com/UNDERWEAR%20APRON.jpg

Preheat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Peel a large baking potato and grate it onto a couple of paper towels. Wrap the grated potato in the towels and squeeze it over the sink until the water runs out. Put about a tablespoon or two of butter in pan (avoid burning), and put potatoes in, season to taste (onion powder, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever) and pat into a flat patty. Cook until browned, flip, add more butter, and finish cooking.


Garlic Home-fries (great with steak):

Peel a large baking potato and cut it into small cubes, about 1/2 inch on a side. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium, add olive oil to cover bottom, and add potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes, tossing often until lightly browned. While cooking, finely mince a couple of cloves of garlic, and mix with an equal amount of finely minced parsley. Sprinkle over the potatoes for the last minute or two of cooking.

[/ QUOTE ]

fyp

[CORed]

Start a wood fire. Keep feeding the fire for about half an hour until a good bed of coals is built up. Allow the fire to die down to coals. Bury the potato in the coals and leve it there for about an hour. Feed the fire lightly to maintain coals but not much flame. Dig the potato out of the coals. The skin will be carbonized, but the insided will be yummy.

[CORed]

A well seasoned cas-iron skillet works well for home fries, too. A lid will speed up the cooking a little.