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Mastering the baked potato: HTF do I get crispy skin?

Ns1

Ns1

No Lifer
I'm trying to master the baked potato. Using the AB method the baked potatoes are delicious but for the life of me I cannot get the skin to be uber crispy. Has anyone been successful?

Ingredients
1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head®, you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-baked-potato-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Click to expand...

I've tried doing the recipe as-is, jacking the temp up to 400, and baking @ 350 for 55 minutes then broiling for last 5. I always let it rest on a rack after it's done baking. All options result in delicious potato, none deliver a truly crispy potato skin. The skin is never limp and dead, but it's never uber crispy either.
 
Ns1 said:
That's the recipe I posted...thanks for not helping :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

What you posted is slightly different than the first link in the search results.
Bake on the top oven rack at 375 degrees F (put a baking sheet below to catch drippings) until tender, 50 minutes

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...crispy-baked-potatoes-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Click to expand...

Also, I have found out that by not following EXACTLY will yield different results.

Potato quality, oven temp and placement will have a bearing on the skin crispiness.

The gist of the process is the same; you may just have to keep experimenting until it works for you.
 
cabri said:
What you posted is slightly different than the first link in the search results.


Also, I have found out that by not following EXACTLY will yield different results.

Potato quality, oven temp and placement will have a bearing on the skin crispiness.

The gist of the process is the same; you may just have to keep experimenting until it works for you.
Click to expand...

Well I tried 350 and 400 so I guess I'll try 375 tonight.
 
I microwave my potatos for 7 mins, more than that will give them crispy skin but it tends to wreck the rest of the potato.

You could microwave a potato for 7 mins, then do another potato for 20 mins then take the skin from the second one and put it on the first potato :\
 
Maybe the oil is not allowing it to get crisp try rubbing it with some butter instead and see if that helps. Otherwise invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven temperature is right. My old oven was 30 degrees off and at other times 50 degrees off from the temperature setting when I invested in my oven thermometer.
 
flamethrower-massacare-o.gif


J/K, I still like to micro nuke mine most of the time, cut in half, scoop em out with a spoon and whip em a bit, and twice bake em myself with the broiler after.

Mix in goodies etc, top with some stuff, melt cheese on em etc.

If you want the skin toastier on a full one, just try sticking it near a not broiler a short bit, and rotate it while watching it when it's cooked.
 
Last edited:
I've done the salt crusted ones once. It doesn't produce crisply skin and, imo, the results didn't match up to the time and materials involved.

For crispy skin I use the AB method but do them in a convection oven at 425 F, turning them half way through.
 
TastesLikeChicken said:
I've done the salt crusted ones once. It doesn't produce crisply skin and, imo, the results didn't match up to the time and materials involved.

For crispy skin I use the AB method but do them in a convection oven at 425 F, turning them half way through.
Click to expand...

How much oil are you using and how crispy are we talking about? i mean my skins are "firm", but they're definitely not KFC potato wedges crispy...
 
Ns1 said:
How much oil are you using and how crispy are we talking about? i mean my skins are "firm", but they're definitely not KFC potato wedges crispy...
Click to expand...
I try to use just enough oil (olive oil) to get the salt to stick to the skin. imo, the skins come out crispy but I've never had KFC potato wedges so I don't know what your benchmark is.
 
Ns1 said:
do you hear a crunch when you bite into the skin? I don't.
Click to expand...
Yes...if I eat the skin within the first 5 minutes or so. After that the residual heat/steam tends to soften the skin.

I would imagine that in order to get the type of crispy you are searching for that you would need to par-bake the potato then finish off wedges in the fryer.
 
TastesLikeChicken said:
Yes...if I eat the skin within the first 5 minutes or so. After that the residual heat/steam tends to soften the skin.

I would imagine that in order to get the type of crispy you are searching for that you would need to par-bake the potato then finish off wedges in the fryer.
Click to expand...

hmm...that might be a little bit of it too? I let the potato rest for a bit because it's too damn hot out of the oven, then it takes me a bit to top it with accoutrements.
 
KFC potato wedges are _fried_. You're not going to get that degree of crispiness from a baked potato.

You can try throwing them under the broiler for a few minutes on each side when they're nearly done.
 
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