[Bob in St. Louis]

I've made numerous attempts at baked potatoes like you'd get at a restaurant for some time now.
You know what I mean, that coating of salt butter on the outside.....the texture of the inside.... 
What's the secret, what's the magic.... I've tried butter (not margarine) and Kosher salt at various points in the cooking process to no avail.
Boiled, baked, BBQ'd....been there tried that.
I just can't quite 'get there, you know.....?

All you chefs out there have any words of advise?  aa

Thanks,
Bob

[zybar]

I've made numerous attempts at baked potatoes like you'd get at a restaurant for some time now.
You know what I mean, that coating of salt butter on the outside.....the texture of the inside.... 
What's the secret, what's the magic.... I've tried butter (not margarine) and Kosher salt at various points in the cooking process to no avail.
Boiled, baked, BBQ'd....been there tried that.
I just can't quite 'get there, you know.....?

All you chefs out there have any words of advise?  aa

Thanks,
Bob

The key is the oven.

Since you don't have a commercial oven or broiler at home (I am guessing this is the case), it is much more difficult to achieve the same results.

Using a traditional oven or a grill, I cook the potatoes at very high temps (around or over 500 degrees) to get that really creamy and liquid center and to get a nice and crunchy skin.

George

[WEEZ]

I'm no chef, but I cook a little.

George is right..a hot oven.

What I do, is nuke the spuds on high for about 4 min. (poke 'em slightly so they don't blow up ) When they're cool enough to handle, coat 'em in olive oil & sea salt. Wrap 'em in foil and put 'em in a preheated 450 degree oven for an hour. Not too bad.

WEEZ

[ted_b]

I've made numerous attempts at baked potatoes like you'd get at a restaurant for some time now.
You know what I mean, that coating of salt butter on the outside.....the texture of the inside.... 
What's the secret, what's the magic.... I've tried butter (not margarine) and Kosher salt at various points in the cooking process to no avail.
Boiled, baked, BBQ'd....been there tried that.
I just can't quite 'get there, you know.....?

All you chefs out there have any words of advise?  aa

Thanks,
Bob

The key is the oven.

Since you don't have a commercial oven or broiler at home (I am guessing this is the case), it is much more difficult to achieve the same results.

Using a traditional oven or a grill, I cook the potatoes at very high temps (around or over 500 degrees) to get that really creamy and liquid center and to get a nice and crunchy skin.

George

How long?  Do you pre-nuke first?  Any foil or does that reduce/negate the crunchy skin.

I'm hungry!!!

[pearsall001]

I'm no chef, but I cook a little.

George is right..a hot oven.

What I do, is nuke the spuds on high for about 4 min. (poke 'em slightly so they don't blow up ) When they're cool enough to handle, coat 'em in olive oil & sea salt. Wrap 'em in foil and put 'em in a preheated 450 degree oven for an hour. Not too bad.

WEEZ

Never, never wrap those spuds in foil unless you want a steamed potato, yikes!  . For a great baked potato you need a hot oven & coat the skin with your choice of condiments. Keep playing around, you'll get it just perfect before you know it. Try different potatoes for various textures & flavors. It can be a lot of fun experimenting. My claim to fame...CIA class of '74 grad.

[Bob in St. Louis]

WOW! Great responses, and soooo fast too! 

Ok, I forgot to talk about the foil thing. I've always used foil. I never would have thought that that would be a bad thing.
I've got plenty of olive oil and sea salt/Kosher, so that'll get me through a few more attempts.
And all this time I've been doing lower temps with longer times.....

Let's chat;
Foil: yes or no
Sea salt or Kosher
olive oil or butter
pre-nuke or not

Bob

[bpape]

Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Foil or not - depends on how you like your skin...

Bryan

[zybar]

I've made numerous attempts at baked potatoes like you'd get at a restaurant for some time now.
You know what I mean, that coating of salt butter on the outside.....the texture of the inside.... 
What's the secret, what's the magic.... I've tried butter (not margarine) and Kosher salt at various points in the cooking process to no avail.
Boiled, baked, BBQ'd....been there tried that.
I just can't quite 'get there, you know.....?

All you chefs out there have any words of advise?  aa

Thanks,
Bob

The key is the oven.

Since you don't have a commercial oven or broiler at home (I am guessing this is the case), it is much more difficult to achieve the same results.

Using a traditional oven or a grill, I cook the potatoes at very high temps (around or over 500 degrees) to get that really creamy and liquid center and to get a nice and crunchy skin.

George

How long?  Do you pre-nuke first?  Any foil or does that reduce/negate the crunchy skin.

I'm hungry!!!

I don't nuke any of my veggies.     They are steamed, baked, sauteed, or BBQ'd.

I will cook the potatoes for 45-60 minutes depending on size.

I only use foil if I am coating the potatoes or doing something that requires protection so that it doesn't get burned (like doing twice baked potatoes).

George

[pearsall001]

There is no such thing as a "Baked Potato" if it's wrapped in foil!! Period, end of discussion! If you like to wrap the spud in foil...then enjoy your "Steamed Potato"

[WEEZ]

Sounds like the subject of 'foil' has become a hot potato

[bpape]

That's going to go to the top of the list with whether or not wire makes a difference 

Bryan

[KCI-JohnP]

When you coat the outside of the potato with salt and olive oil add a little bit of parmesan cheese, the dried out kind not fresh.

John

[NealH]

This thread is making me hungry.   And, I love baked potatoes.  I also generally nuke them a 3 or 4 minutes depending on size and then, wrap in foil and bake at 350 till done (30 minutes or so).  I will have to try omitting the foil next time.   

Sweet potatoes work better when baked in the oven only - no pre-nuking.  When they are right though, not even esoteric deserts taste any better.  The garnet sweet potatoes (I think these are true yams) are the best. 

[bprice2]

I guess I'm a big fan of steamed potatoes. 

The best "baked" potatoes I've ever done either come out of the camp fire, or off the bbq'er.  I don't do nothing fancy...just wrap them in foil and put them in the bbq, covered for about two hours.  If at the camp fire, I just pull some coals aside and drop the foil wrapped potatoes on the coals and spread a little more coals on top of the spuds.  Turn them after an hour and maybe add some more coals. 

Another method is to dig a hole, throw in some coals, throw potatoes (wrapped in foil) on top, then throw some coals on top of the potatoes.

I've never burned up a potato.  Never had one come out dry either.  I have under cooked them though.  Under cooked is a bummer. 

Has anyone ever grilled corn on the cob, husk off and smoothered in garlic butter?  Mmmm...good.

[jules]

No problem here with double blind tests  and given spuds are cheap it's easy to kill a few while trying the options.

I'm definitely of the "no foil" school and I really don't nuke anything if I can avoid it. If you want a good crusty outside on the potato, the longer it's in the oven [as distinct from the microwave], the better. Yes, highish temperature as well though I don't really see that the home oven is a hazard as dry heat is the best and that's what home ovens do.

Foil's good for potatoes baked in coals of course and the best potatoes I've ever made were baked under coals in some sandy soil. I think the flavour had something to do with the soil as I haven't been able to reproduce it elsewhere.

jules

ah, while I was writing bprice has written in a similar vein ... I agree completely

[some young guy]

i poke them with a fork and put them right on the rack at 450. they usually take about an hour. this is the same method i use for baking potatoes for gnocchi. you may find that as the potato ages and the starch turns to sugar, that it won't be as creamy. this is a good place for a lot of creme fraiche.

[ctviggen]

Sweet potatoes work better when baked in the oven only - no pre-nuking.  When they are right though, not even esoteric deserts taste any better.  The garnet sweet potatoes (I think these are true yams) are the best. 

Technically, yams are not sweet potatoes and are completely different therefrom.  See, e.g.:

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/sweetpotato.html

[Rob Babcock]

Olive oil and kosher salt is what I've used in most of the restaurants I've run.  Butter is good too.  What kind of potatoes are you using?  The main thing we do that you probably can't is use a convection oven.  A commercial convection oven has very good circulation and high speed fans. 

Don't ever wrap 'em in foil unless you want it steamed.

[Singapura]

Try to find the episode "This Spud's for You" of Alton Browns's cooking series "Good Eats". Not only do you get good recipes but the science behind the cooking is explained.

Here's Alton Brown's recipe:

The Baked Potato Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show:  Good Eats
Episode:  This Spud's for You 
 
1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.
Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.


 

[Imperial]

One can buy volcano stones ... like those on volcano/gas barbeques than one can get in the pro market.
They can be put in a normal dry heat stove too...
This will give a different heat spread....

Imperial