Bay-Scented Baked Potato

August 26, 2008

Tired of that old, plain baked potato? Looking for something to spice it up, add some kick and wow you? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. A bay-scented baked potato isn’t going to wow anyone or turn the potato world upside down, but it does add a little flavor and interest to a classic. It is an easy variation and worth trying.

All you need is a couple Idaho or other russet potatoes, a few dried bay leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

First, turn on your oven to 425 F. Then, wash and scrub your potatoes. When your potatoes are clean, cut a deep slit, lengthwise, through each one. As you can see, I got a bit over-zealous and just cut them in half. I don’t think this really hurts it, but it is probably unnecessary.

Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil in each slit, then slide in one or two bay leaves to cover the length of the potatoes. It is important to try and cover the whole length, because the bay leaf flavor really only sticks in its immediate vicinity. Close them up, the spread some olive oil around the outside and sprinkle the whole thing with salt and pepper.

Place the closed potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and pop them in the over for about an hour, or until a knife can penetrate them with no resistance.

When they are done, just remove the bay leaf and enjoy.

Tips

• Try to get the bay leaf to cover the whole length of the potato, as the bay flavor remains pretty localized.
• I am going to try this again without completely splitting the potatoes. Perhaps this will trap the bay in a little better.
• Even if it doesn’t dramatically change the flavor, it at least makes you sound like a good cook when you say you made “bay-scented baked potatoes.”

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• Two Idaho or other russet potatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Two to four dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 425º F. Wash and scrub your potatoes. Cut a deep slit lengthwise down each potato. Sprinkle in salt, pepper and olive oil into the slit, then slide in a bay leaf or two to cover the length of the potato. Close the potato, and rub a light coating of olive oil around the outside, and sprinkle the whole thing again with salt and pepper.
2. When the oven is hot, just place your prepared potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the over for about an hour, or until a sharp knife penetrates without resistance.
3. Remove the potatoes when they are done, then take out the bay leaves and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

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