Salt-Baked Potatoes
From Cook's Illustrated, with a video
INGREDIENTS
13x9 pan
2 pounds of (inexpensive) salt
4 medium Idaho/baking potatoes
head of garlic, left untouched
sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp oil
3-4 Tbl butter, room temp but not super-soft
minced rosemary
kosher salt
PREPARATION
Oven to 450; rack in the middle.
1. Spread the salt in the bottom of the 13x9 pan and shake the pan a bit to distribute the salt evenly.
2. Nestle the potatoes, broad side down, into the salt bed, staggering them.
3. Place 2-3 sprigs of rosemary among the potatoes.
4. Cut off the top 1/4 of the entire head of garlic and place it, exposed side up, in the bed of salt.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and crimp the edges for a tight seal.
6. Place the covered dish into the pre-heated oven; bake for 1-1/4 hours.
7. Remove the pan, turn up the heat to 500.
8. Remove the foil, and using tongs, move the head of garlic to a small dish in order to cool.
9. Brush the exposed sides of the potatoes with oil.
10. Continue baking, uncovered, at 500 until skins are glossy and potatoes are tender.
11. While potatoes are baking, place butter in a small dish and squeeze out each garlic clove's roasted contents from their "root ends" into the butter dish.
12. Add some minced rosemary (1/8 tsp?) and some kosher salt (a pinch?) to the garlic mixture and mash it all together using the back of a fork until it's a paste.
13. When the potatoes are done, remove the pan from the oven and brush off any salt still attached to the potatoes.
14. Split the potatoes and top with a dollop of the herb-garlic butter.
INGREDIENTS
13x9 pan
2 pounds of (inexpensive) salt
4 medium Idaho/baking potatoes
head of garlic, left untouched
sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp oil
3-4 Tbl butter, room temp but not super-soft
minced rosemary
kosher salt
PREPARATION
Oven to 450; rack in the middle.
1. Spread the salt in the bottom of the 13x9 pan and shake the pan a bit to distribute the salt evenly.
2. Nestle the potatoes, broad side down, into the salt bed, staggering them.
3. Place 2-3 sprigs of rosemary among the potatoes.
4. Cut off the top 1/4 of the entire head of garlic and place it, exposed side up, in the bed of salt.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and crimp the edges for a tight seal.
6. Place the covered dish into the pre-heated oven; bake for 1-1/4 hours.
7. Remove the pan, turn up the heat to 500.
8. Remove the foil, and using tongs, move the head of garlic to a small dish in order to cool.
9. Brush the exposed sides of the potatoes with oil.
10. Continue baking, uncovered, at 500 until skins are glossy and potatoes are tender.
11. While potatoes are baking, place butter in a small dish and squeeze out each garlic clove's roasted contents from their "root ends" into the butter dish.
12. Add some minced rosemary (1/8 tsp?) and some kosher salt (a pinch?) to the garlic mixture and mash it all together using the back of a fork until it's a paste.
13. When the potatoes are done, remove the pan from the oven and brush off any salt still attached to the potatoes.
14. Split the potatoes and top with a dollop of the herb-garlic butter.
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