Twice Baked Potatoes
My good friend Felicia asked me to teach her how to make twice baked potatoes. It was such a fun dish that I decided to turn it into a blog. The process is so simple that you really dont even need a specific recipe. Think of this blog as a step by step guideline rather than an exact measurement of ingredients. I like to switch up the ingredients often and try different combinations of flavors. This time around, we are making twice baked potatoes with onion, broccoli, bacon, and parmesan.
My good friend Felicia asked me to teach her how to make twice baked potatoes. It was such a fun dish that I decided to turn it into a blog. The process is so simple that you really dont even need a specific recipe. Think of this blog as a step by step guideline rather than an exact measurement of ingredients. I like to switch up the ingredients often and try different combinations of flavors. This time around, we are making twice baked potatoes with onion, broccoli, bacon, and parmesan.
- Carbohydrate 21.17405 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.12335 g
- Fiber 2.81050006389618 g
- Protein 2.4538 g
- Saturated Fat 0.03924 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (134g)
- Sodium 7.49 mg
- Sugar 18.3635499361038 g
- Trans Fat 0.027935 g
- Calories 93 calories
Step-by-step
- The easiest way to shave your broccoli is to place the stalk upside down on a cutting board with the stem in your hand. Run a knife around the edges of the broccoli to shave off small florets.
- Bake the potatoes in a 375 degree oven with a bit of olive oil and salt for 1 hour. Transfer the potatoes to the fridge to cool for a couple of hours. This can even be done a day ahead of time.
- Cut the bacon vertically into thin strips. If you freeze the bacon, it'll be easier to cut. Cook the bacon until all of the fat has been rendered. (I like to cook the bacon in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to make sure that the fat is rendered evenly. When the bacon fat is foaming, it's done.) Drain the bacon from its fat and save a small amount of the bacon fat.
- Saute the onions and garlic in the bacon fat until tender. Season with salt and pepper. When the onions are cooked, add the broccoli, toss, and set aside. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh of the potatoes using a spoon. In a large bowl (or mixer) combine the potatoes, bacon, and the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, and parmesan cheese. Spoon the contents of the bowl back into the shells of the potatoes and top with more parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes at 375 degrees, or until golden brown.
Cooling the Starch
Baking whole tubers at 375 degrees for one hour establishes the initial interior structure. Transferring those hot baked potatoes to the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours or overnight is critical for starch retrogradation. Chilled potato flesh maintains its shape during scooping and resists gummy breakdown when mixed with heavy cream and sour cream.Rendering the Pork
Freezing the sliced pork belly strips beforehand allows for clean vertical cuts through lean and fat layers. Spreading the meat evenly on a sheet pan for 45 minutes at 375 degrees ensures complete fat rendering. Watch for the foaming visual cue that signals the moisture has evaporated, leaving behind crisp lardons and a clear rendering fat that subsequently cooks the onions and minced garlic.Assembly and Equipment
Slicing the broccoli stalk requires a sharp chef's knife run vertically along the edges to release small florets without heavy waste. Folding the ingredients into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment speeds up incorporation compared to hand mashing. Refilling the hollowed skins and finishing the batch with fifteen minutes of thermal exposure produces a distinct golden brown crust on the parmesan topping.
