Restaurants prepare the potatoes ahead by boiling and mashing just the potato, then just before serving, it is mixed into boiling cream (or milk or even broth or a combination thereof) to reheat it and make it nice and creamy.
According to Restaurant Ninjas, restaurants that serve baked potatoes bake their potatoes in advance and keep them in warming equipment. Moreover, there is a constant cycle of new potatoes going out to ensure the food is fresh. This might sound familiar.
Restaurants bake potatoes ahead of time and keep them warm until they are needed. How do restaurants make a baked potato so quickly? At home it takes close to an hour or a little more in the oven, and 45 mins on the BBQ. Spuds are one of the cheapest ingredients out there.
Versatile and filling, potatoes can be baked in the oven, steamed on a stove or even cooked in a slow cooker. Try your hand at each method and pick your favorite way of cooking these starchy tubers.
Q: Why is it common to salt the exterior of a baked potato? A: Chefs started doing this years ago to allow the salt to absorb or draw out the moisture of the potato while baking, which results in a dry, fluffy potato.
Placing under heat lamps is second best but the outer edges away from the light won't keep as warm, placing in a steam table insert is third best as this introduces moisture. The only way you can achieve a superior tasting potato for most of your customers is of course to batch cook like Wendy's used to specify.
Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.
The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together.
To ensure a crispy outside and a fluffy inside to your potatoes, Gordon advised: “Shaking up the edges, coating in semolina and getting the fat really hot first all help ensure crispy, golden outsides while the middles remain fluffy.”
The foundation of restaurant-style mashed potatoes is perfectly cooked potatoes, with a light texture, silky mouthfeel, and a buttery taste. To achieve these goals, you only need to do three things: Steam the potatoes instead of boiling them. Add plenty of fat.
Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.
These potatoes are great at holding their shape, so they are good for potato salads and potato cakes. This category of potato is best for boiling, steaming, sauteing, oven roasting, stewing, mashing, and braising. Examples include chef's all-purpose, Yukon Gold, and yellow-fleshed potatoes.
Baked potatoes offer more nutritional value than fries because they still have skin. Potato skins are the most nutrient-dense part of a baked potato. Another benefit of heart-healthy baked potatoes is that they are not deep-fried in oil and grease like french fries.
Use equipment that is capable of reheating food within two hours or less. That generally means using an oven, stove, or microwave. If food will be hot-held, reheat it to 165°F, no matter its original cooking temperature.
Try to place the potatoes directly on the oven rack, in single layers for even air distribution. Once baked, you can use a hot mitt to grab the potato and place each in a square of foil and then wrap. This will help seal in the dry heat of the oven.
Keep potatoes warm for your gathering by placing them in a cooler. Fill the cooler with hot water and let it set for a while. Then when the potatoes are fully cooked, empty the cooler and dry it completely. Place the potatoes inside and close the lid.
Pour salt onto a small plate and set aside. Rub olive oil completely over potato. Place in oven-safe dish or on baking tray. Cool slightly and enjoy!
Potatoes soak up a lot of flavor, so salting the water prior to cooking is a good idea for the best taste. And you aren't limited to plain salted water for boiling your potatoes, either.
Use a coarse salt, such as flaked sea salt or coarse Kosher salt and generously sprinkle it all over the potatoes before baking. The skins will have the most delicious flavor and texture! Plan for it to take a while. Baked potatoes, especially large ones, take a while to cook.
Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.
The phrase “baked potato” typically refers to a whole potato being cooked in the oven with the intent of being cut open and stuffed (commonly with butter, sour cream, cheese, etc.). Roasted potatoes, on the other hand, are cut into smaller pieces and cooked in the oven until they're perfectly crispy on the outside.
When it comes to temperature, roasting requires a higher oven temperature of above 400°F for the cooking process, while baking takes place at lower oven temperatures around 375°F and below.