In spring a young man’s fancy turns to love. In fall, an old man’s fancy turns to . . . baked potatoes.
Other than baking the potatoes, this is another “non-recipe,” since once you have a basic understanding of what flavors you like (and like combined), pretty much anything works in a baked potato.
Wash and dry the potatoes. Using a fork, prick them all over (ooh err missus), which will allow the steam that builds up during baking to escape. No one wants exploding potatoes in their oven. Coat with olive oil and about 1 tsp. salt, and use your hands to mix:
Place them on a baking sheet so they’re not touching:
Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour, but check after 45 minutes or so to see if they’re soft (don’t burn your hands!). Depending on the size of the potatoes, this may take longer, like 1-1/2 hours.
Let them cool, then cut off the tops:
. . . and using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides, trying not to penetrate the skin (it’s not the end of the world if you do), then mash the contents with a fork until they’re as smooth as you prefer:
Meanwhile, make the fillings. I made three. Keep in mind that as you’re making them, you want them to be a bit more flavourful and salty than you’d like, since they’re going to be mixed with the more bland potato, which will dilute the flavour and salt.
- Toasted Corn and Chicken
Saute some onions until soft, then add the corn (I used frozen). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the corn is cooked (about six minutes) and, if you like, keep going until it’s lightly toasted.
Stir in some cooked chicken:
And continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has evaporated:
2) Hamburger, Tomatoes and Green Pepper
Fry some onions, then add the hamburger and cook until it’s no longer red (I threw in some basil puree):
Add the diced green pepper and tomatoes:
And cook until the moisture has evaporated and the peppers are soft:
3) Poached Salmon. For this one I wanted a more delicate flavour.
Poach the salmon in the clam juice and 1 Tbsp. butter for about six minutes, or until done:
Remove the salmon and flake:
Reduce the clam juice by half, then add the flaked salmon and chives and cook until there’s little moisture left.
Taste and adjust the seasonings for each filling.
Mix a bit of the potato with the filling, and stuff back into the potato skins, garnishing as desired:
Yum!
-R