Because they look cool as hell, and the cooking method ensures a tasty distribution of butter.
The recipe here is for one. Shouldn't be hard math to make as many potatoes as you want or need. Takes an hour, and I suppose you *could* do it in the microwave -- but the potato won't be crispy, golden or, um, good.
Ingredients:
1 russet potato
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dried parsley, fresh parsley, or about 2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
Preparation:
- Scrub the potato.
- Heat the oven to 450.
- Stir together butter, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Place the potato on a cutting board and secure, lengthwise, between two wooden spoon handles or chopsticks. (This will help you NOT cut through the potato completely. Or if you're feeling lucky, wing it.) Slice the potato thinly, leaving about 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced. Cover with the butter mixture, carefully getting in between every slice.
Cook & Serve:
Put on a baking sheet and bake at 450 until the potato is tender when poked with a fork, and golden-crisp -- about an hour. Before serving, top with more butter if you wish, and sprinkle with parsley or chives. Sour cream (or if you're from Minnesota -- "Top the Tater") makes a nice addition.
A Little Backstory:
Not as much of a backstory as a note on the pic above: The vegetable there is asparagus, and there's an 8-minute recipe for it on this website. The meat is beef tips -- I cooked them in a skillet with olive oil until browned, then topped them with Cherry Sauce for Meat (in the Soup, Sauces & Dips page on this site).
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