This Baked Potato Recipe Has a Secret Step for the Best Flavor and Texture (2024)

FAQs

Why do baked potatoes taste better in restaurants? ›

People are often accustomed to placing their taters on a baking sheet with parchment paper or wrapping their spuds in foil. But one of the reasons why restaurant baked potatoes taste so good is because kitchens know that using wire racks or oven grates allows all sides of the spuds to be exposed to hot air.

Baked potatoes sit atop the mountain of comfort foods. With a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth interior and a crispy, salty skin, a perfect baked potato is a thing of beauty.

Russet potatoes are arguably the best potatoes for baking, although they are also great for mashing and frying. The main reason thick-skinned Russet potatoes are perfect for baking and more is because they contain significant amounts of starch.

Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely. Conventional wisdom says that when you bake a potato, you have to prick it with a fork all over a few times, piercing the skin to allow steam to release.

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.

Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes. Acidic Ingredients: If your soup contained highly acidic ingredients (e.g., tomatoes), it could have affected the texture of the potatoes.

Piercing the skin of the potato before cooking creates escape routes for interior moisture. Potatoes that stand for long periods after baking also tend to be soggier than those served immediately. So don't bake potatoes ahead of time and then reheat them—they just won't be as good.

The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.

What is the best tasting potato in the world? ›

According to the announcement of the Chamber of Drama, the Kato Neurokopi Potato was voted first among many others from around the world, in the Taste Awards 2023-2024 competition of the Taste Atlas Guide for the World's Best Foods in the relevant category (“Potatoes”) with 4.39 points.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch.

Prior to cooking, the potatoes should be scrubbed clean of any dirt, rinsed, and dried. I use vegetable oil to rub the potatoes, which helps the skin crisp up nicely. You can use olive oil if you prefer.

The problem could be the seasoning. Smothering baked potatoes in oil and salt before cooking may seem logical to achieve a bronzed crispiness, but the heat of the oven might actually cause them to simply run off, achieving nothing at all.

The method of cooking is much more authentic. The steps in which food should be made may not be known to a home cook but a chef makes it perfectly creating a difference between the taste of food cooked at home and restaurant. One ingredient or cooking tool may change the taste or texture of the food.

According to Restaurant Ninjas, restaurants that serve baked potatoes bake their potatoes in advance and keep them in warming equipment. Moreover, there is a constant cycle of new potatoes going out to ensure the food is fresh.

Foil will prevent potatoes from drying out while they are kept warm – one of the reasons restaurants serve their baked potatoes in foil. but it will also leave the skin soft and moist, not crispy.

Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes, are a favorite among chefs for their high starch content and fluffy texture. They are ideal for baking, mashing, and frying, making them perfect for dishes like baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and french fries.