This stunning potato dish delivers a fluffy interior, a
crisp exterior, and a cheesy bread crumb topping—if you can get the potatoes
cooked right. For our Crispy Baked Potato Fans recipe, we found that using the
right kind of potato is key. The russet, or Idaho, potato was the
best choice because of its starchy flesh and fluffy texture. Taking the time to
rinse the potatoes of surface starch after they were sliced prevented them from
sticking together, while trimming off the end of each potato gave the remaining
slices room to fan out. To prevent overcooking our spuds in the punishing oven
heat, we precooked them in the microwave before baking. A topping of fresh
bread crumbs, melted butter, two kinds of cheese,
garlic powder, and paprika is the crowning touch on our Crispy Baked Potato
Fans. As a final step in our Crispy Baked Potato Fans recipe, we broiled the
potatoes to make the topping extra-crunchy.
Serves 4
To ensure that the potatoes fan out evenly, look for
uniformly shaped potatoes.
1.
For the bread crumb topping: Adjust oven
rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pulse bread in food
processor until coarsely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet until
dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then
combine crumbs, butter, cheeses, paprika, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and
1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. (Bread crumb topping can be refrigerated in
zipper-lock bag for 2 days.)
2.
For the potato fans: Heat oven to 450
degrees. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut 1/4 inch from bottom and ends of
potatoes, then slice potatoes crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, leaving 1/4 inch
of potato intact. Gently rinse potatoes under running water, let drain, and
transfer, sliced-side down, to plate. Microwave until slightly soft to the
touch, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.
3.
Arrange potatoes, sliced-side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush potatoes
all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until skin is crisp and
potatoes are beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and
heat broiler.
4.
Carefully top potatoes with stuffing mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Broil
until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve.
Prepping
Baked Potato Fans
These potatoes may look difficult to make, but we found a
few simple, no-fuss tricks to ensure perfect potato fans every time.
1. Trim 1/4-inch slices from the
bottom and ends of each potato to allow them to sit flat and to give the slices
extra room to fan out during baking.
2. Chopsticks provide a foolproof
guide for slicing the potato petals without cutting all the way through the
potato.
3. Gently flex fans open while
rinsing under cold running water; this rids the potatoes of excess starch that
can impede fanning.
