I’m hardly a BP addict, but every so often they scratch an itch. I’m more likely to roast than bake. I do Hasselbecks sometime, too, if I have the time, but never have those met expectations.
Last night I had an enormous Russet that was baked but not touched. Tonight I felt lazy, so retrieved Moby Spud from the fridge. It was so huge I knew it was more than enough for both Wahine and me. Hash didn’t appeal, so what to do?
What I ended up doing was bisecting it lengthwise. My skillet was still hot from rendering out the bacon bits, so on a lark I pan fried the still-giant halves face down. When they were crispy and golden, I flipped them, stabbed the faces with a paring knife a few times, and waited while some mounted butter soaked in. Then they got some shredded mozz plus the bits,some Mexican sour cream and scallions.
We liked it enough to swear to repeat the bake+fry again.
Does anyone here have odd or different ways to do large whole potatoes?
Afterward, I thought of the recent rice thread that included a discussion of starch conversion–which lowers both carbohydrate count and makes the starch slower to digest. I know the same thing happens with potato starch, but not the extent.
For me, I may bake a few potatoes ahead for the fridge and then fry the halves when I’m feeling lazy or have the Jones for baked.
I remembered reading in an article ages ago that the method of cooking potatoes has an impact on their glycemic index – steaming better than boiling better than baking, iirc (microwaving might have been the best of the lot).
Just took a quick look for the impact of cooking, cooling, and reheating carbs on resistant starch, and it looks like the rice result extends to wheat and potatoes too.
(Might explain the prevalence of par-boiled starches in various ancient cultures – rice of various sorts in south India, wheat products like bulgur in the middle east, and so on.)
The articles I linked in the 2018 thread referenced two separate studies on rice, from Sri Lanka and Singapore (the latter is the academic paper) that had to do with the addition of fat, but what I was reading today just had to do with cooking, cooling, and reheating – no fat factor.
So it might be that even just eating leftover fridge carbs is better than eating them fresh
I rarely if ever bake a potato from scratch – usually par-cook it in the microwave (poke a few times with a paring knife, bit of water in the bowl, cover & cook) first. Then rub the outside with a bit of oil and finish in the toaster oven to crisp the skin.
Started doing this when I really wanted a baked potato but was too hungry to wait 45 mins or an hour for it to bake.
I know people like loading up on toppings, but I prefer to stay simple – fluff the inside, s & p & plenty of butter, and then when the fluffy inside is finished, then a bit more butter & seasoning for the crunchy skin.
After washing, I usually microwave whole potatoes. I’ll cut them in half, scoop out part of the potato and fill with lentils. Although the attached picture is sweet potatoes, I have made this dinner with large white potatoes.
It was both healthy and YUMMY!!
I bake them from scratch when I’m roasting something else slowly. A really long slow roast, usually at 250 or 275⁰ F.
Lately, I’ll slow roast a few 9 inch squares filled with parsnips, squash or beets, as well as potatoes, and occasionally baked beans, on other racks as I’m slow roasting or braising meat or poultry.
Usually I just bake them at 425 for an hour. Split and serve with salt and butter. Sometimes I cut them in half after they’re baked, scoop out the inside and mash with whatever I have - shredded cheese, plain yogurt, Boursin, etc. Put the filling back and bake until heated through.
I also tried these quick baked potatoes from She Wears Many Hats. Really good and easy.
We make them rarely & usually split one, since Russets tend to be on the larger side, and they are more often than not a side to big fat steak meal. As such, no further adornments save for TPSTOSSCAB.
I am somewhat intrigued by double-baked or stuffed, but I just can’t be bovvered. I’ll eat it if someone else makes them, however.
I eat it all… the skins, the potato and the lentils. As far as “edible boats” I guess it depends on how much potato you leave behind. If you want more potato, scoop less out and vice-versa.
You definitely need to spice your lentil water when cooking your lentils. My girlfriend and I like that “Southwest Kick”, so I’m fairly heavy handed with the hotter spices. I use an old rice cooker for cooking my lentils (2.5 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils). It does take a while for the lentils to cook, so I start them early and let the rice cooker do the work (on those).
We bake potatoes specifically to have on hand for rösti or fried potatoes for breakfast/brunch. Of course, at least one gets eaten hot on the day it’s made. They’re a convenience food.
I’m afraid I don’t understand. I usually time the lentils to finish about the same time the potatoes come out of the microwave. I split the potatoes, scoop out part of the potato (to be consumed the next day for lunch), fill the center with hot lentils and serve hot.
Depending on the size of the potatoes, I kind of know how many my girlfriend and I will eat (for dinner). I clean and microwave just those potatoes.
-pierce potatoes with fork
-salt water brine for 1/2 hour
-light olive oil coating
-microwave ‘til just short of soft (8min?)
-little more olive oil
-liberal dusting with kosher salt
-bake in toaster oven for another 20-30 minutes to crisp.
Salt, pepper, butter, sour cream, sometimes grated cheese. You only live once!!!
We don’t eat as many baked potatoes as we once did - they are very filling. Sometimes I will bake one and we will share it as a side dish to a steak. We like our baked potatoes nice and fluffy - I usually run a thick metal skewer through the middle of them, rub with olive oil and coat with coarse sea salt. I roast them directly on the oven rack and rotate half way through. We love the skins.
When I have a large leftover baked potato, I sometimes make baked stuffed potatoes with the scooped out potato, a drained can of tuna, sliced scallions, shredded cheddar and a bit of sour cream. Mix all of that together, season with S&P and stuff the potato skins with it - top with more cheddar and bake until heated through. We can make a meal of this with a green salad on the side.
