Maybe it’s just the Irish in me, but there really is nothing like a properly baked potato. Nothing. Crispy, golden, earthy, minerally goodness on the outside. Delicately fluffy, rich and steamy on the inside. Whatever you decide to top your baked potato with - butter, sour cream, cheese, chili - make certain you’ve done your spud right by baking it the very best way.
Begin
Do not microwave your potato. All microwave oven manufacturers will tell you that nuking a potato is perfectly fine. Do not be seduced by them. The soggy product of 6 minutes on high is nothing close to fine. It is pure sacrilege in my book.
This noble tuber needs slower dry nurturing in a hot but not too hot oven. Gas or electric will do nicely. Convection cooking is completely unnecessary but not a deal breaker.
Do select firm, fresh and good looking produce. What you get out of your efforts will only be as good as what you put into them. I like an Idaho Russet. If it’s good enough for McDonald’s, it is good enough for me.
Next, be certain to scrub the potato free of debris and dirt under clean running water. I also pick out any white “eyes” that might have developed during the transport from farm to my home. Avoid green potatoes at all costs. The green part is actually chlorophyll indicating the presence of a natural toxin called solanine. It is the plant’s natural defense against insects, disease and predators. It develops when the potato is subjected to light or extremes in temperature, which can happen with improper transport. If ingested in large amounts it can cause headaches and stomach illness, even paralysis of the central nervous system. Certainly, solanine is not part of the perfect baked potato, so leave it out.
Prepare
Once clean and dry, prick the potato all over with the tines of a fork or tip of a sharp knife. This is necessary to prevent the buildup of steam in the potato as it cooks in the hot oven. If you avoid this step, prepare yourself to scrape the inside of your oven clean after the inevitable explosion.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While you wait for the oven to come to temperature, rub olive oil all over the surface of the potato. Next, lightly sprinkle kosher or other coarse salt on the oiled potato skin. Cracked black pepper is an optional step that I don’tmiss.
Once the oven is at temperature, place the potatoes directly on the baking rack of your oven. Place a low sided cookie sheet underneath the potatoes on the rack below to catch any spills or drips that are bound to happen during cooking. You do not want smokey smelly drops of potato burning to carbon on the bottom of your oven when you’re trying to enjoy your fine dinner.
Bake
Cooking time is about an hour for an average sized potato. Larger spuds will require as much as an hour and a half, so use common sense and allow enough time for proper cooking. Fork tender is the bench mark to follow. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before opening the potato. They will still be plenty hot enough to eat and this step allows the interior moisture to evenly distribute while evenly cooling.
Enjoy!
Finally, use a fork to open your spud. Do not use a knife to slice, crush and mush the potato flesh. Fork a series of dotted lines down the middle of the potato. Don’t be shy, let the fork pierce the skin at least an inch deep. Next, squeeze or press down at the ends of the potato and “bloom” the inner flesh outward. This process may seem alien but it truly ensures the lightest fluffiest result. Promise.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Product Reviews: Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Model KM25G0XWH (Commercial 5 Series)
The KitchenAid KM25G0XWH - the Cadillac of stand mixers as it is known in my house - will never fail you. No never. Not many things you will buy in your lifetime will be as reliable. I have had mine since Boy George was known for his popular musical work not his court ordered sanitation work.
About
Pop icon's aside, the kitchen icon is and always has been of 100% durable metal construction with nothing plastic to fail or break. The motor is outstanding and well sized at an admirable 450 watts of pure power. This baby will tackle anything from the airiest pavlovas to the toughest triple batch of toll house cookie doughs without a struggle or a strain. It is that versatile.
The aptly proportioned 5-Quart stainless steel bowl is big enough for double and triple batches but deep enough to blend small amounts, never splashing the contents about the kitchen. The handle makes removing the bowl from the stand and scooping the contents into baking dishes ergonomically simple and surprisingly comfortable.
The flat beater that comes with mixer is perfection. It is shaped to mix thoroughly, evenly and engineered so well that a few turns around the bowl is all that's needed to combine wet and dry ingredients into the most delicate cakes, muffins or cookies. Run the mixer longer for well incorporated and carefully nurtured gluten, making excellent breads, rolls and pizza crusts. In fact, you can enhance bread making with the dough hook included.
The excellent wire whisk attachment is also included. Use this wire whip for light and fluffy meringues or delightfully etherial whipped cream. I like to chill the bowl before whipping anything as it increases the volume and the stainless steel gets nice and cold.
Features
The mechanically inclined will enjoy the additional features of direct drive transmission, the electronic speed sensor as well as the auto shut off. This is a tool meant for serious cooks not planning on moving the mixer from the place of honor on the kitchen counter. It's almost 29 pounds after all. If you are anything like me, you would never even consider putting the KM25G0WH in a cabinet anyway. After all these years it is still too pretty.
In Short
the KitchenAid stand mixer is unsurpassed in excellence at performing the tasks for which it was intended. Versatile. Perfect. Powerful. Pretty. That's one chameleon with some pretty good karma if you ask me.
About
Pop icon's aside, the kitchen icon is and always has been of 100% durable metal construction with nothing plastic to fail or break. The motor is outstanding and well sized at an admirable 450 watts of pure power. This baby will tackle anything from the airiest pavlovas to the toughest triple batch of toll house cookie doughs without a struggle or a strain. It is that versatile.
The aptly proportioned 5-Quart stainless steel bowl is big enough for double and triple batches but deep enough to blend small amounts, never splashing the contents about the kitchen. The handle makes removing the bowl from the stand and scooping the contents into baking dishes ergonomically simple and surprisingly comfortable.
The flat beater that comes with mixer is perfection. It is shaped to mix thoroughly, evenly and engineered so well that a few turns around the bowl is all that's needed to combine wet and dry ingredients into the most delicate cakes, muffins or cookies. Run the mixer longer for well incorporated and carefully nurtured gluten, making excellent breads, rolls and pizza crusts. In fact, you can enhance bread making with the dough hook included.
The excellent wire whisk attachment is also included. Use this wire whip for light and fluffy meringues or delightfully etherial whipped cream. I like to chill the bowl before whipping anything as it increases the volume and the stainless steel gets nice and cold.
Features
The mechanically inclined will enjoy the additional features of direct drive transmission, the electronic speed sensor as well as the auto shut off. This is a tool meant for serious cooks not planning on moving the mixer from the place of honor on the kitchen counter. It's almost 29 pounds after all. If you are anything like me, you would never even consider putting the KM25G0WH in a cabinet anyway. After all these years it is still too pretty.
In Short
the KitchenAid stand mixer is unsurpassed in excellence at performing the tasks for which it was intended. Versatile. Perfect. Powerful. Pretty. That's one chameleon with some pretty good karma if you ask me.
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