I know several friends who have trouble baking potatoes in a toaster oven – the skin either comes out to soggy, or the flesh is not fluffy, or the taste is meh. So today I want to share several time-tried tips that I have:
- Fork potatoes before baking, otherwise they might explode in the oven!
- Don’t wrap them in foil or the skin will be too soft.
- If your potato comes out undercooked even after an hour in the toaster oven, there is no secret: you just need to bake it for a longer time. I have friends who like putting sweet potatoes in at noon and taking them out at dinner time.
- When they are done, cover them with a clean paper towel and sort of karate chop them with the side of your hand. This will absolutely change the texture of the potato – the inside becomes fluffy while the outside stays crispy!
The last one is key and something I stole from Nigel Slater (also try his salt cod and parsley recipe, it’s heavenly).
So, here is the process.
Ingredients
- Medium or large potatoes
- Oil
- Optional: cheese curds, gravy, parsley, tomatoes
Directions
- Pre-heat your toaster oven to 425°F.
- Wash, scrub (remember, most of the nutrients are in the skins) and dry your potatoes.
- Fork your potatoes several times each.
- Rub them with oil for flavor.
- Place the taters on the toaster oven backing rack or cookie sheet.
- Bake the potatoes as long as neccessary (45-60 minutes usually). When done, the potatoes will feel tender when squeezed, a knife or fork will go in easily and the skin will be lightly browned and crispy to the touch. Done!
- Optional: sprinkle with cheese curds and pour some poutine gravy on top. Garnish with tomatoes and chopped parsley.
I’ve once again put together the recipe in a downloadable booklet for you. Hope you like it:
See you next time!
G.