Baked Potatoes

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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:06 pm

Does anyone know the true secret to the perfect baked potato?
Just like grandmas.
She's been dead 20 yearsor so, so all I have is memories of being shown what to do when I was young and I've never quite got it right.
I'm sure there is something to do with using the fat from the roast flouring them, par boiling them. Lard or dripping, and cooking the crap out of them once the meat has been removed from the oven.

Theres a lesson in this all you young wipper snappers, Listen to what the old farts have to say, one day it may just come in handy Smile

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:12 pm

That discription sounds like a roast potato! Confused

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:33 pm

Charlie, have you ever had a really great potato ?
thats the difference

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:34 pm

yep
sounds like roast potatoes to me too

baked potatoes is when you just stick a spud into the oven in the skin for
hour or so til the outside is 'baked' hard and the inside is light and fluffy

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:37 pm

Only my mums, when I was a little whipper snapper Very Happy

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:42 pm

[/quote]stick a spud into the oven in the skin

Quote:

Nope way of mark Smile

Perfectly baked PEELED potato basted in lots of fat.
Golden brown crispy shell and fluffy on the inside.

Abit like some of the mods around here I guess Smile

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:44 pm

Harrya is describing the cooking involved in roasting potatoes. What I remember from when I was a chef. It helps if you have decent quality potatoes. I can't remember the best variety for roasting but it still produces excellent results.

You partly boil them. You do need to cook them with roast meat for a nice 'roast taste' but it's not essential. You heat the oven up, chose a roasting dish to heat the lard up - I prefer to use cooking oil. Once the oil has heated up add the potatoes. Remember not too big or they will not cook evenly. The heated oil will help to 'seal' the potatoes. Roast until they are cooked. You do have to baste the potatoes from time to time - that is pour the cooking fat over the potatoes - and turn them over during the cooking.

That is the best I can remember. For the best results cook them with a quality joint of lamb, beef, pork or a chicken you will get that wonderful meaty taste in the roast potatoes.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:45 pm

My favourites were (40 years ago):

Make a fire and wait until it has burnt down. Throw the potatoes into the embers. Wait. Enjoy your potatoe (those parts between the raw and the burnt parts). My grandfather showed me how to do it. I loved those potatoes.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:48 pm

^^^ what Dionysius said ...... but use Goose Fat and cook the potatoes on their own

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:49 pm

Dott. Giascopato wrote:

Throw the potatoes into the embers.

...those are fantastic! Kartoffelfeuer! But under no circumstances forget to check the IP of your potato before throwing it into the fire.

Other than that I agree with Dionysius, it's the quality of the potato that can make all the difference. In Italy for instance you'll rather accidentally stumble over a white truffle than a decent potato.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:54 pm

Accordong to the Heston Blumenthal series you should use Maris Pipers.

I can't remember the rest but it probably involved something tedious like boiling for 10 mins, frying, boiling, frying etc till you are stir crazy.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:54 pm

I think the potato has a lot to do with it, and the fat. I never said they where heathy just the the best.
I remember some of the potatoes would end up with a almost clear hard layer on the bottom about a 5mm thick. Delicious Very Happy

Thanks for all the ideas, Goose fat ? I've never seen it in a shop but recently I hear it referenced somewhere. I'll be looking out for it Smile

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:54 pm

peel some maris piper potatoes (the best for roasting),keep them all the
same size
par boil in salted water.
heat up your goose fat/lard in roasting dish on top shelf

when spuds are just starting to fall apart.drain carefully in colonder.let steam
escape
take hot roasting dish out of oven
carefully place spuds in fat(they should sizzle or spit at you if the fat is hot)
watch them crisp over nice and brown

fantastic

Wink

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:56 pm

spotthepot wrote:

^^^ what Dionysius said ...... but use Goose Fat and cook the potatoes on their own

Can I come round for dinner? Wink

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:00 pm

Sounds like the spuds are all sorted out, whats for desert ?

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:03 pm

RICE PUDDING Very Happy

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:06 pm

sautee'd bananaa's in toffee sauce
with chcolate ice cream

very nice and dead quick

Wink

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:09 pm

Rice pud

havent had that in years, Actually when I have looked into making it I get all funny inside and run straight to the bathroom. Maybe I had a bad batch sometime I used to love it Smile

Quick remmy I need the recipe

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:39 pm

The best way to bake (not roast) a potato is to microwave it for about 3 minutes on each side, then rub a little oil all over the skin and whack it in the oven for about 10-15 mintues on each side. The inside is extra fluffy and the skin is extra crispy. Perfect! Smile

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:51 pm

EAT YOUR HEART OUT- Gorden Ramsey

Baiting AND cooking is there no end to the talent on this site Wink

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:17 pm

^^^^The answer is no

harrya wrote:

Sounds like the spuds are all sorted out, whats for desert ?

Lemon Merangue Pie.

A Sweet pastry base. Rub three oz of fat into 6 oz of flour using you fingers and thumbs until you have completely broken up the fat. Add water to make a paste. Use flour to roll it into a circle and place in a pie dish. Prick the bottom with a knife, lay grease proof paper on the bottom and weigh it down. Either with dried peas or ceramic pastry weights. Bake until golden brown.

The filling. Take the zest of the lemon off with either a zester or thinly peel the rind and chop it up finely. Add the lemon juice to cornflour and stir until it thickens. Add the zest. Mix it in. Pour into the pastry base once cooked.

The merangue topping. Separate the egg white from the yoke. Beat until stiffish, add a few Ozs of sugar and beat until the merangue is stiff. You can test this by holding it over your head. If the merangue moves towards your head, it hasn't been whipped enough.

Place the merangue on top of the pie filling and shape it. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the merangue is golden brown.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:03 pm

I always puncture mine with a fork a few times, smear the outside with butter, wrap them with foil, bake at 350 for an hour or until they feel mushy when you press them.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:21 pm

Goose fat is a crazy price. It was like �3 for a jar Xmas time. So what's a cheap alternative? I like to throw a few good quality sausages in with the potatoes when I do them.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:24 pm

When I don't have time, I quarter the potatoes with skin and boil in chicken or beef broth until done. 20-30mins! Smile

If I don't have broth, I use water seasoned with butter salt and pepper.
BTW, When I make mashed potatoes, I use the broth off of the potatoes for the making of gravy.

I think I will tell my scam lover Confused

about my cooking. I will tell him every day what I cook. Wink

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:53 pm

wayne wrote:

Goose fat is a crazy price. It was like �3 for a jar Xmas time. So what's a cheap alternative?

Beef dripping.

Shake the par boiled tatties in a metal colander to roughen the surface before bunging them (note the technical terms here!) in the dripping in a roasting tray in a hot oven. Check and turn them every now and then to make sure they don't stick to the tray.

Next week... how to boil the perfect egg....