Baked potatoes with an aesthetic twist.
Very impressive looking, but surprisingly easy to do; a great way to add a little extra flair to what normally would be considered quite basic.
And with a few imaginative adjustments and additions, the flexibility is there where they can be served as a side, main course, or canape.
Ingredients:
- Potatoes – 4 (large)
- Melted butter, olive oil, duck fat, coconut oil, or a mix like mine to brush on during cooking.
My mix:
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Butter – 1 tbsp
- Fennel seeds – a pinch
- Capers – 1 tsp
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Fresh coriander – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
- Red chillies – 1 (finely sliced)
- Dried red chilli flakes – 1 tsp
- Cracked black pepper – 1/2 tsp
- Rock salt – 1 tsp
For the potatoes:
- Sea salt
- Crushed black pepper
- Optional extras – fresh herbs, grated cheese, bread crumbs, garlic shavings, dried beef, etc. You can be as versatile as you like with the use of creative toppings, and really have some fun with these.
Method For My Mix:
Heat up olive oil and melt butter in it. Add fennel seeds, capers, lemon juice, chopped fresh coriander, sliced red chillies, dried red chill flakes, cracked black pepper, and rock salt. Fry together for a few minutes and set aside for use in basting.
Method For The Potatoes:
Wash, clean and pat the potatoes dry. You can peel the skins off. I like them with skin on.
Cut slits into the potato, stopping just before you cut through so that the slices stay connected at the bottom of the potato.
Slice every 3 mm or as thin as you can do it. To make it easier, you can place a knife through the bottom of the potato and slice from top downwards until your knife hits the embedded knife at the bottom.
Carefully slide the knife out of the potato once you have finished slicing.
Place the potatoes sliced side up on a foiled baking tray.
Brush the potatoes with half your chosen fat all over including the bottoms.
Sprinkle generously with sea salt and crushed black pepper.
Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven at 220 Degrees C and bake for 30 minutes.
At this point, the layers will start fanning out.
Remove the tray from the oven and liberally brush the potatoes again with fat making sure some of the fat drizzles down into the gaps between the slices; you can ease the layers apart if they’re still sticking together. Re-season with some more sea salt and crushed black pepper.
Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown, crispy on the edges and easily pierced in the middle with a knife.
If you’re adding any optional extras, stuff those into the slits and sprinkle over the top and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve immediately as these are at their best steaming hot with the edges still crispy to bite.
Notes:
Total baking time should be 60 to 70 minutes for average potatoes; if your potatoes are on the small side or are larger, adjust cooking time accordingly.