Perfect Potato Skins
I've tweaked dozens of potato skin recipes, and I believe I've finally perfected this one.
I've tweaked dozens of potato skin recipes, and I believe I've finally perfected this one.
- Carbohydrate 41.9571887507765 g
- Cholesterol 116.655125007109 mg
- Fat 47.7838387521873 g
- Fiber 3.65493739843369 g
- Protein 29.8099787505359 g
- Saturated Fat 21.5418412513616 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (362g)
- Sodium 1349.17825000747 mg
- Sugar 38.3022513523428 g
- Trans Fat 3.68466750011265 g
- Calories 710 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Scrub and wash potatoes, then dry. Rub butter on outside of potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in oven directly on rack. Cook 30 minutes. Pierce potatoes several times, turn over and return to oven to bake another 30 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from oven, increase oven temp to 450°F.
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out potato (save for another purpose). NOTE: Depending how crispy you want the skins to be, leave about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch of potato in skins (less potato equals crispier skins).
- Brush the skins with olive oil inside and out, return to oven and bake about 10 minutes each side.
- Season the inside of the potatoes with salt, pepper (or garlic salt or garlic pepper) and fill with cheese and bacon.
- Broil skins for about 2 minutes until cheese is melted as desired.
- Serve warm with sour cream and chives or green onions.
The Russet Foundation
Russet potatoes provide the high starch and low moisture content required for structural integrity. Starch molecules gelatinize during the initial 400 degrees Fahrenheit bake. Lower starch varieties will collapse instead of holding their shape under toppings. Select tubers that feel heavy and feature unblemished skins.
Fat and Thermal Conductivity
Butter applied to the exterior conducts heat efficiently while the potato bakes. Olive oil is brushed on later because its smoke point handles the subsequent 450 degrees Fahrenheit crisping stage better than butter alone. Leaving an eighth to a quarter inch of flesh determines how rigid the final shell becomes.
Maillard Reactions and Melting
Dairy proteins in cheddar and jack undergo the Maillard reaction under the broiler, creating savory compounds. Fat from the cheese and bacon melts into the warm starch matrix. Sour cream introduces lactic acid, which cuts through the heavy lipids of the melted cheese and crisp pork fat.
