Step 1: Prepping & Baking the Potato
- 4 russet potatoes (approx 2½ lb), scrubbed clean
- oil, for rubbing
- coarse sea salt (such as Fleur de sel or Maldon)
- freshly ground black pepper
To start, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Note: For even crispier skin, the potatoes can be cooked in a 450°F oven. Just keep an eye on them, as the cooking time may be a bit less, depending on how big the potatoes were, etc.
Next, poke the potatoes all over with a fork and rub with oil; use an oil with a high smoke point; season generously with salt and pepper. Note: Feel free to experiment with other spices, if desired.
To bake the potatoes, place them directly on the oven rack and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a knife goes in very easily. When ready, the inside should be soft, yet the skin should nice and crisp.
Step 2: Garnishing & Serving the Baked Potato
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- non-diary butter, to taste
- Cashew Sour Cream, to taste
- freshly minced chives or green onions, to taste
To garnish the potato, carefully cut open each potato and gently pinch the potato together with your fingers to break up the middle a bit.
Next, season the inside of the potato with salt and pepper, and top with your favorite toppings.
We like to add the non-dairy butter first and let it melt, then we add the Cashew Sour Cream and chives (or green onions) just before serving.
These potatoes are so satisfying that they can be served as a main meal with a nice salad.
Okay, I am curious, do you eat the skin or not? I (Dawn) love the potato skin, it’s sort of my favorite part. I just love the contrast of the pillowy potato inside and the almost crunchy exterior of the skin. Heck, there was a reason potato skins were invented right.