Salt Water Bathed Baked Potatoes brushed with Bacon Fat to Crisp up the Skin halfway through. Tops sliced off to vent the steam and create a Fluffy Fork Mash. Topped off with shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Bacon Bits with Green Onions & Chives.
Servings: 2 Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet & Rack
- 1 Oven Mitts for handling the Hot Potatoes
- 1 Pan to fry the Bacon
- 1 Large Bowl for the Salt Water Bath
- 1 Small Bowl for the Salt & Pepper Blend
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Russet Potatoes - about 227 g each
- 2 Strips Bacon - chopped, omit for vegetarian
- As Needed Bacon Fat - from cooking the Bacon, exchange with Oil for vegetarian
- 1-2 Tbl Butter - per Potato
- To Taste Butter Popcorn Seasoning
- As Desired Shredded Cheese
- As Desired Sour Cream - place into a squeeze bottle or just a dollop
- As Desired Chives
- As Desired Green Onions
Salt Water Bath
- 2 C Water
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
Salt & Pepper Blend
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Scrub the Potatoes well and pierce both ends with a fork 3 times. Place the Potatoes into the Salt Water Bath to fully coat. Leave them in there until the oven is preheated. In a small bowl, combine the Salt & Pepper Blend and set aside until needed.
- Transfer the Potatoes to a baking sheet with a rack to lift the Potatoes up and allow full air circulation around the Potatoes. Place into the oven to bake for about 52 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork or an internal temperature of 210 F. With 227g Potatoes it will take 52 minutes to reach 210 F. Slightly smaller about 50 minutes, a little bit bigger up to 1 hour. For better accuracy bake until an internal temp of 210 F.
- While the Potatoes Bake, chop the Bacon into small pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Strain out the Bacon to top the Potatoes later and save the Bacon grease to brush the Potatoes.
- Halfway through or at about 30 minutes, brush the Potatoes with Bacon Grease, flip them over and brush again with Bacon Grease, coating the entire Potato. Place them back into the oven to finish cooking.
- Remove from the oven and immediately slice off about 1/2" off the top, or slice the length and squeeze the Potato end together with an oven mitt on. Fluff the insides with Butter, Butter Popcorn Seasoning, Salt & Pepper Blend to taste. Top with shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Bacon Bits, Green Onions & Chives and serve right away.
Notes
The Baked Potatoes can also be sliced in half to make Baked Potato Halves.
Either Butter Popcorn Seasoning or Sour Cream & Onions Popcorn Seasoning works really well to flavor the Mashed Potatoes.