Loaded Baked Potato with Crackly Salted Skin

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A baked potato worth ordering: russets scrubbed bone-dry, rubbed with oil and coarse salt, and baked hot and uncovered until the skin shatters and the inside steams itself fluffy. Then it's loaded in the order that actually matters — butter first so it melts into the flesh, cheddar next so it melts against the butter, then bacon, a cool spoon of sour cream, and scallions.

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes (10–12 oz each)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil or bacon fat
• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pats
• 6 oz sharp cheddar, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, or plan to bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack with a sheet pan on the shelf below to catch drips. Air must circulate all the way around each potato — this is what makes the skin crackle instead of steam.
2. Scrub the potatoes under cold running water with a stiff brush, then dry them aggressively with a towel and let them sit 5 minutes so any remaining surface moisture evaporates. A wet potato steams; a dry potato crisps.
3. Pierce each potato 6 to 8 times with a fork, going about 1/4 inch deep. Rub all over with the oil (about 3/4 teaspoon per potato), then sprinkle and press on the coarse kosher salt so it clings to the skin.
4. Bake uncovered, with no foil, for 55 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan once at the 35-minute mark. The potatoes are done when the skin looks dry and papery, a thin knife slides into the center with zero resistance, and an instant-read thermometer registers 205 to 210°F at the core. Under-baking is the number one cause of gluey baked potatoes — push to 205°F.
5. While the potatoes bake, lay the bacon in a cold 12-inch skillet and cook over medium heat, turning every couple of minutes, for 10 to 14 minutes until deeply crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop or crumble into rough 1/2-inch pieces.
6. Grate the cheddar and slice the scallions while the potatoes finish so both are ready the moment the potatoes come out. Warm toppings only work on a screaming-hot potato.
7. Pull the potatoes from the oven and let them rest just 2 minutes. Set each on a plate and slice lengthwise down the top, cutting about three-quarters of the way through — do not cut in half. Squeeze the ends gently toward each other to pop the potato open and release steam.
8. Load in this order: use a fork to fluff and rough up the exposed flesh, then press in 1 tablespoon of butter and mash it into the potato so it soaks down instead of pooling. Season the flesh with a pinch of flaky salt and black pepper.
9. Pile on the grated cheddar while the potato is still steaming so it melts from the bottom up, about 1 1/2 oz per potato. Scatter the hot bacon over the cheese so the fat glazes it.
10. Finish with a spoonful of cold sour cream (about 3 tablespoons) dropped into the center, then the scallions — whites first, greens on top — and a last crack of pepper. Serve immediately, while the skin is still crisp enough to hear.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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