Baked potatoes are an inexpensive and tasty treat that can be used to decorate almost any dish. Want to dine on steaming baked potatoes but don't want to wait an hour for them to cook in the oven? Bake it in the microwave! Here's how to cook baked potatoes in 15 minutes or less.
Steps
Step 1. Choose the right potato variety
The following varieties are well suited for baking: "author" (very crumbly - it is good to bake whole), "adretta" (well boiled and suitable for baking), "blue" (it contains a lot of starch, and can be used for baking), "Zhukovsky early”(universal variety, medium starch content),“zhuravinka”(starchy and crumbly - suitable for baking),“meteor”(firm pulp, not crumbly, good for baking),“riviera”(Dutch universal variety),“lilac fog”(Crumbly variety, a lot of starch, suitable for baking) and“bullfinch”(more crumbly than“meteor”, suitable for baking).
Step 2. Wash and dry the potatoes
Wash potatoes thoroughly before placing them in the microwave, especially if you plan to eat them with the skins. Clean it well of any dirt (a vegetable brush is great for this). Then blot the potatoes with a dry, clean paper towel.
Step 3. Season the potatoes
Rub some olive oil into the rind and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. This will make the potatoes more flavorful and the rind crispy.
Step 4. Make a few holes in the potatoes with a fork
This will prevent steam from accumulating in the potatoes and will not explode in the microwave. Pierce each side three or four times: top, bottom, and sides. You can also make a deep "X" cut with a knife along the entire length of the potato.
Step 5. Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate
Before doing this, you can wrap the potatoes in a damp paper towel. It will help to keep moisture in the potatoes and protect them from drying out. However, the skin of a towel-wrapped potato is unlikely to be crispy, but rather soft. So it's up to you whether to use a wet towel or not.
Step 6. Place the plate in the microwave and select a cooking time
Cooking time depends on potato size and microwave power. Medium-large potatoes should be cooked for an average of 8-12 minutes at full power.
- To get started, set a timer for 5 minutes. Then turn the potatoes over so they bake evenly. Turn the microwave on for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how cooked it is. Even if after this time the potatoes are not baked, bake them at one-minute intervals, checking that they are cooked after every minute.
- Increase cooking time by about 2/3 for a few potatoes. For example, cooking time for one large potato will be 10 minutes, for two large potatoes - 16-17 minutes.
- If you prefer crispy potatoes, first cook them in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, then transfer them to the preheated oven to 204 ° C and bake there for another 20 minutes. This method is great if crispy rind is what you want. In addition, this method will reduce the cooking time by at least half!
Step 7. Check the readiness of the potatoes
To do this, stick a fork in its center - if it enters easily, but the pulp becomes denser towards the middle, the potatoes are ready. When in doubt, be aware that it is better to under-bake potatoes a little than to bake them, otherwise they may burn or explode in the microwave.
Step 8. Let the potatoes stand for five minutes
During this time, the heat retained inside will bring the potatoes to readiness; it will become soft on the inside and will not dry out on the outside. Wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil after removing them from the microwave will speed up the process. Be careful when touching potatoes - they will be very hot!
If you're cooking potatoes for someone coming home late, wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them warm for a long time. Do this as soon as you remove the potatoes from the microwave
Step 9. Serve the potatoes
Slice up the potatoes and garnish with your favorite filling. You can use butter, parsley, green onions or garlic, sour cream, cheese, or crispy bacon. You can add chili or an omelet to the potatoes to make them more filling.
Advice
- The rotating dish in the microwave will bake the potatoes evenly. If your microwave does not have this option, then stop cooking twice and turn the potatoes halfway through. Divide the cooking time by three to figure out exactly when to turn the potatoes.
- Try greasing the potatoes with lard to keep the skins soft and flavor the potatoes.
- If you don't have parchment paper, use wrapping paper (brown) instead.
- Wrap the potatoes in cellophane to keep moisture out.
- If your microwave has a baked potato function, don't hesitate to use it.
- Extend cook times when using a low power microwave oven. For example, for an 800 W microwave, increase the cooking time by 1.5 times.
- Wrap the potatoes in reusable parchment paper.
- If you are in a hurry, immediately cut the potatoes as soon as the microwave turns off, add the filling and microwave for another 30-60 seconds.
- You can cook mashed potatoes in the same way. Use thin-skinned potatoes and don't dry them out (you can wrap them in plastic for this).
- To spice up your potato skins, rub with olive oil, salt and basil before cooking.
Warnings
- Use a towel or oven mitts to remove the plate as it will be very hot.
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Do not wrap potatoes in foil while cooking, as this can cause sparks and damage the inside of the microwave.