The Perfect Baked Potato

I stink at making simple things properly. I can't make a grilled cheese (I'm too impatient) or pancakes (again, impatient). My baked potatoes are never cooked through and sometimes this makes me feel like a failure in the kitchen. Luckily, my cohabitor has the exact opposite skill set in the kitchen. Patience and the ability to use a kitchen timer. Mark makes the perfect baked potatoes. They are fluffy and amazing on the inside and skin is crisp and delicious too. No scooping out the inside and discarding this skin. I am convinced that this makes eating them super healthy, as I am getting the vitamins and minerals from the skin along with the important carbohydrates from the center. Plus, it is so fluffy and flavorful, I don't even need to add butter or salt to the flesh of the potato. Light sour cream and chives (more vegetables!?!) make this the perfect side dish. The technique is simple, but brilliant and he agreed to share his secrets with all of us. I will still leave this job to him whenever we make baked potatoes at our house, but for the rest of you, this should come in pretty handy!
The Perfect Baked Potato
Ingredients:
2 Russet Potatoes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper
sour cream and chives

1. Scrub the potatoes well so that they are nice and clean. Fork the potatoes all over about 8 times each so that the steam can escape when you cook them.
2. Rub the potatoes all over with the olive oil.
3. Sprinkle the outside of the potatoes with the kosher salt and a light sprinkle of pepper.
4. In a preheated 350 degree oven, place the potatoes directly on the oven rack. Place a pan underneath the potatoes to catch any oil or drippings from the potatoes.
5. Finely chop the chives for sprinkling later.
6. After 45 minutes, turn up the heat to 400 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove the potatoes from the oven to a plate.
8. My preferred baked-potato-eating method is cutting and "X" in the potato and smushing it together. Then I top it with sour cream and chives. Amazing!

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