Baking a potato is one of the simplest things you can do in the kitchen and the results are usually pretty awesome. The steamy deliciousness of a baked potato is one of the most versatile foods due to the fact that it can go with any number of toppings. This is an easy recipe for anyone looking for instructions on how to bake a potato perfectly (with crispy skin) each and every time. You can’t get it wrong.
The only thing left to highlight is the importance of the potato that you chose. Russet potatoes are the best for baking because they work best with the dry heat in your oven. Also, after piercing your potato with a fork, I like to rub my potato with olive oil and then liberally season it with sea salt (or kosher salt, if you have it) because I think it helps to crisp up the skin, which I love.
Easy Baked Potato
The easiest way to bake a potato with crispy skin every time.
- 1 Russet Potato (1 potato per person)
- 1/3 tsp Olive Oil
- 1/3 tsp Sea salt
Position the rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400°F.
Wash the potato thoroughly (getting rid of any tiny sprouts you find on the surface) and dry it with a kitchen towel.
Poke the potato with a fork. Do not be afraid to really dig deep and make sure that you do this all over the potato.
Rub the potato with olive oil. It should be a little slick, but not dripping. Nest, rub as much salt as you want on the potato skin. Don't worry, it is normal for a lot of the salt to fall off, but it does help make the skin crisp up nicely. DO NOT use foil.
Place the potato on a wire rack to help circulate the air around the entire potato. Bake the potato until you can easily slide a fork of toothpick into the centre of the potato (40-55 minutes depending on the size of your potato. Bare in mind, larger potatoes can take up to an hour or longer to bake).
When the potato is done baking, the potato will give easily to a light squeeze. To serve, open the potato with a fork of knife to expose the steamy and fluffy centre. Season and pair it with whatever you like. My favourite pairing is lightly salted butter and shredded cheddar cheese, but it can go with almost anything.
Use potatoes of any size for this recipe, but please note that potatoes weighing between 6-8 ounces will take 40-45 minutes to bake and potatoes weighing 14-16 ounces can take an hour or longer to finish baking.
Use Russet potatoes for the perfect result.
Orana Eats: Food | Wellbeing | Travel 