Stuffed Baked Potato

Preparation

1. Step 1

   There is something about a baked potato that is so comforting that many of us eating alone enjoy making a meal of it. You can enhance it with whatever seems appealing—a generous dollop or two of sour cream or yogurt or butter, some chopped scallions, a few tasty mushrooms (or use mushroom duxelles, page 138), and/or a bit of leftover green vegetable. Some like a melty cheese or a strong accent, such as anchovy and olives, and if you happen to have some leftover ratatouille or fried eggplant and peppers, they marry well with the mealy roasted Idaho. Also, bacon, ham, or a bit of cracklings will add a meat accent, if you want that.

2. Step 2

   Since a large potato takes about an hour to bake in the oven, a good way of hurrying it along is to microwave it on high for 7 minutes, then put it into a 400° oven to crisp for about 10 minutes. When it is tender—pierce with the point of a knife to make sure—slit the top open, squeeze the hot potato to open it up, and spoon as much stuffing as you like into it. The filling should be at room temperature.