AN AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS WAY TO COOK POTATOES

It takes a little time and effort, but the result is worth it!

From. left to right-- Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese, Gruyère w/ Garlic, and Cheddar/Bacon.

I honestly could not pick a favorite from this test batch.

There are numerous "best" ways to enjoy potatoes... baked, mashed, French-fries, home fries, hash browns, potato chips... hell, even as vodka. The following preparation-- stuffed potatoes with some type of fancy cheese-- is a "value-added" version, a side dish that might well steal the show from the entrée at even the fanciest dinner party.

STUFFED POTATOES WITH CHEESE

Equipment:

Roasting Rack

Food Mill

Ingredients:

Russet (Baking) Potatoes

Melted Butter

Cheese of Choice

Crème Fraîche*

Salt & Pepper

Optional Goodies (e.g., bacon, garlic)

(*You can make your own Crème Fraîche by adding a splash of buttermilk to a quart of heavy cream, giving it a stir, and letting it sit out overnight. Make SURE that your buttermilk of choice actually contains live cultures; click HERE to read about what happens if it doesn't. Leftover buttermilk makes wonderful pancakes and fried-chicken marinade.)

All three of the above versions began by baking russet (baking) potatoes. I recommend washing them and roasting them on a rack in a 400ºF oven just long enough to dry them. Then, after removing the rack and letting them cool enough to handle (leave the oven going) I pierce them all over with a fork, rub the skins with clarified butter, and then return them to the oven. Cook until they are easily pierced with a toothpick, then allow them to cool.

Slice the potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving about a quarter-inch attached to the skins. Place the skins skin-side up on the rack and brush them with melted clarified butter. Broil until they just start to get crunchy, then invert them and similarly brush with butter and then broil. This process makes the skins both sturdier and more delicious.

Process the potato flesh into a large bowl. I bought my >$100 German-made Stainless Steel Hand-Crank Food Mill specifically for making superior mashed potatoes. If you LOVE mashed potatoes, it will be well worth your money. (It is also great for soup-making and root veggie purées.) Processing potatoes in this manner makes the end result lighter and fluffier.

Say hello to HELGA, my German mistress...

not sure how she is in bed, but she's GREAT in the kitchen.

Add melted butter, a dollop of Créme Fraîche, and your cheese of choice, shredded or crumbled as needed. Season to taste as you GENTLY fold the ingredients together. Stuff the skins with the mixture, with a little optional cheese on top if desired.

At this point you can give them a 500ºF blast for a few minutes before serving OR refrigerate them (covered w/ plastic wrap) until dinner in a day or two. If you opt for the latter, let them warm up to room temperature before the hot blast so they heat more evenly.

NOTES:

I combined copious garlic with the gruyère as a nod to Julia Child's famous Dauphinoise Potato Casserole. These garlic/gruyère stuffed potatoes are WAY easier to make, and just as tasty. Finely chop and then cook the garlic in clarified butter before adding to the mix, taking care to not burn it.

I grew up loving Danish Blue ("Bleu") Cheese from the HICKORY FARMS kiosk at our local mall. Maybe that spoiled my palate, but I recommend avoiding the inexpensive American-made Blue Cheeses typically found in supermarkets. If you want to buy American, Oregon's Rogue Creamery is an award-winning producer of ultra-premium Blue Cheese.

Cheddar and bacon seemed like a natural pairing, and it was. The extra money I spent on sharp, well-aged cheddar and thick-cut artisanal bacon was well worth it. Avoid overcooking the bacon... it should not be crumbly.