Baked Potato Halves w Cheese and Chives

When I was making this dish I as reminded of a book I haven’t read in years and years – and I realized just how much that particular book is to blame for my food obsession. You see, when I was a child my mother would read the entire Little House on the Prairie-series to me and my older sister at least once a year. She claims I was just three the first time and I don’t know how much I actually understood of them that first time, but be as that may – over the year’s they’ve seeped in to my subconscious until they almost seem like memories, not of books read, but of events taking place.

Anyway, Farmer Boy was always one of my favorites. Leafing through it just now I realized that it’s one of the most sensual books I’ve read. There’s constant eating going on and it’s described in great detail – spicy, soft apple pie, crunchy pork and thick, rich cream. I still remember trying to feel all those flavors in my mouth as my mother read to me. Laura Ingalls Wilder is definitely partly to blame for this blog!

What brought the book to mind today was the incident when little Almanzo is baking potatoes in the open fire out in the cold and one of them explodes and almost blinds him. That story has served to make me a bit wary of hot, baked potatoes and you should be too. Otherwise I suggest you pick up Farmer Boy right now!

This dish doesn’t necessarily have to be made with a hot potato though. In fact, it’s perfect for when you have left over baked potatoes. If you’re lucky enough to have that, skip to step 2.

You need (per person):

1 Russet potato

3 tbsp crème fraiche (you might use sour cream instead but crème fraiche is thicker and fatter)

3 tbsp grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 tbsp chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:

1. Wash the potato and make some holes in it using a fork (so as not to explode as poor Almanzo’s did).
2. Bake it in the oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for about 40 – 60 minutes depending on size and shape. The important thing is that it’s soft all the way through on the inside.
3. Let it cool somewhat. Don’t turn off the oven!

Step 2:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the filling.
2. Cut the potato in halves.
3. Hollow the halves using a spoon so that you only leave a little (1/3 inch or so) potato lining the skin.
4. Mash the potato you’ve removed with the filling and put it back into the potato halves. Since you’ve added some stuff, there’ll be more stuffing than fits into the potato, but that’s as it should be. Just spread it evenly over the potato.
5. Put it back into a pre-heated oven at 200 °C (400 °F) and let hem bake for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

January 3, 2008. Tags: food, potato, recipes. dinner, side dish.