Wash yo’ spud. Poke deeply with el fork. Wrap in foil, or not. Depends if you want tender or crispy skin, and how soft you like the inside of el spud. Restaurant spuds are wrapped in foil, BTW. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake about an hour. Slice open, fill with la butter. Inhale.
Num.
It’s been mentioned a couple of times, but I’ll say it again for emphasis:
K-O-S-H-E-R salt. Not table salt. Read the Alton Brown link for Potato Nirvana!
Pepper, too.
I like my potatoes very crisp in the skin, and unseasoned until eaten.
I have to disagree with the never in the microwave crowd a tiny bit.
Here is how I make late night baked potatoes.
Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. (A toaster oven is great, and gets hot faster.)
One big tater. Stab it once in the heart with a sharp knife.
Into the microwave for two minutes. (Three if it’s really big.)
Into the oven, set the timer for 35 minutes.
When the timer goes off, you grate a bit of cheese, and get a pat of butter, and some fresh pepper, and salt all ready on the table with your plate, and a glass of whatever to drink.
You put on an oven mitt, and get a fork. Poke that sucker, and watch it steam. Pick it up, put it on the plate, then poke the fork into it all down one line in the center, and open it. Mash the butter into both sides, put the salt and pepper and cheese on.
Eat.
Tris
I was taught:
Never use foil except in campfires - it stops the skin crisping.
Never pierce the potato before baking - do it after about half the cooking time. It still won’t explode but the innards are properly steamed and much fluffier.
When cooked cover the tater with some kitchen paper or a tea towel and give the spud a light karate chop (careful, don’t splat it). When you open the potato up the inside should already be broken up and fluffy. That was a tip from a book I have at home ( Nigel Slater I think ) .
My fave filling of the moment is a can of ratatoullie with melted mozzarella.