I love baked potatoes, but they take so long to cook. Potatoes need an hour (or more) to be tender in the middle with a crisp, crackling skin. Weeknight baked potatoes? Out of the question.
That changed one afternoon as I drove back from lunch. Jacques Pepin was on the radio, chatting about his new cookbook. Jacques is an encyclopedia of cooking tips, and he had a great time sharing them with the host of the show.
Then came the tip that nearly ran me off the road. His baked potatoes are done in thirty minutes or less. What?
*At this point, I remembered the yellow lines on the road are for my safety, and the safety of all those other cars around me…
*At this point, I remembered the yellow lines on the road are for my safety, and the safety of all those other cars around me…
Thirty minutes? How? Jacques microwaves the potatoes while his oven pre-heats, giving them a head start. The result is perfect baked potatoes in half the time they normally take.
That was seven years ago; I have used the microwave technique ever since. Now, I’m almost ashamed to share this; it’s barely a recipe. One ingredient, two steps. And I’m stretching to make it two steps. But I’ll get over my shame. This is too useful a technique.
Ingredients
- 6 small russet potatoes (6-8 ounces each)
Directions
- Start potatoes in Microwave: Turn oven to 425*F. Wash the potatoes, then poke each one three times with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on high for 6 minutes.
- Finish potatoes in oven: Transfer the potatoes to the oven, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the skin feels crisp when a potato is squeezed. Remove from the oven and immediately cut a slice the top of the potato to let the steam escape. Squeeze from the ends to fluff up, and serve.
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