Baked Potato: Cooking Instructions, Please

[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.

Put them in boiling water for a while.
Drain them.
Mash them up.

Add butter until smooth.

Add garlic or whatever seasoning(s) you like.
Mash some more.
Put it on a plate with a steak.

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.