Baked: Why egg in Twice Baked Potatoes?
Subject: Why egg in Twice Baked Potatoes?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 12:20:02 -0700 (PDT)
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My sister made twice baked potatoes once and were really good. Years later I gave it a try and can remember that I wasn't impressed with mine.
I thought I'd try it again so went looking at a few variations to see what might make it worth the extra effort as apposed to just baked potatoes.
I noticed that some use egg or egg whites. I'm curious as to why. Also some recipes used sour cream, milk, cream, or yogurt. Most used cheddar cheese.
This is the basic recipe:
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Printed from COOKS.COM
3 lg. baking potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. bacon bits
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour. Cut lengthways in half. Scoop out potato and put in mixing bowl. Mix potatoes with sour cream, milk and butter. Spoon back into skin in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Top with cheese and bacon bits and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 6
Any suggestions on how to make slightly golden (probably cheese mixed with potatoes instead), yummy, twice baked potatoes would be appreciated..... I'm thinking sauted garlic in the butter too.
Sincerely, Helen
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 15:47:05 -0500
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Twice baked potatoes are simply baked potatoes with the insides removed, made into mashed or whipped potatoes, then the insides are added back to the outside and baked again.
There's really no secret to it. And it doesn't require sour cream, bacon bits or cheese. Those are things people add to the top of baked potatoes, but to make twice baked, all you do is what I stated above. Then add toppings to your hearts content.
Now to make really nice golden twice baked, of course you're going to add milk or cream and butter to the potato 'meat' when mashing. Spoon this mixture back into the potato shells and bake until golden
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2003 21:24:53 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> There's really no secret to it. And it doesn't require sour cream, bacon
> bits or cheese. Those are things people add to the top of baked potatoes,
> but to make twice baked, all you do is what I stated above. Then add
> toppings to your hearts content.
I think the secret to remember is that the insides are really mashed potatoes and the trick with mashed is to keep it on the dry side (or else you end up with potato glue).
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 06:15:46 GMT
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sf wrote:
> I think the secret to remember is that the insides are
> really mashed potatoes and the trick with mashed is to keep
> it on the dry side (or else you end up with potato glue).
The potato starch becomes gluey when it doesn't have enough liquid or fat to bind to and absorb, not because it has too little. The secret with mashed potatoes is to keep all of the ingredients piping hot when mashing so that the starch will adequately absorb it, creating a smooth, but not sticky, texture. If it seems to be a bit gluey, add some more hot milk/butter. Baking it afterwards is needed to brown the top and crisp the skin, if the mashing/whipping was done when it was steaming hot. Otherwise, the long baking time is needed to get everything back up to temp for the same effect to occur in the oven. I would also suggest seasoning and oiling the skins well for baking.
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 20:03:53 GMT
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J Quick wrote:
> The potato starch becomes gluey when it doesn't have enough liquid or fat to
> bind to and absorb, not because it has too little. The secret with mashed
> potatoes is to keep all of the ingredients piping hot when mashing so that
> the starch will adequately absorb it, creating a smooth, but not sticky,
> texture. If it seems to be a bit gluey, add some more hot milk/butter.
Yours is theory, mine is practical experience.
Butter is fine, but don't add too much milk or cream or I guarentee you'll end up with potato glue. Add a lot and you'll have potato soup.
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 00:47:41 GMT
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sf wrote:
> Yours is theory, mine is practical experience.
>
> Butter is fine, but don't add too much milk or cream or I
> guarentee you'll end up with potato glue. Add a lot and
> you'll have potato soup.
Unlike you, some of us combine knowledge with experience, so we don't have to give worthless guarantees in some vain attempt to establish credibility in liu of accurate information.
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 04:44:40 GMT
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J Quick wrote:
> Unlike you, some of us combine knowledge with experience, so we don't have
> to give worthless guarantees in some vain attempt to establish credibility
> in liu of accurate information.
You're an idiot and you've just proven it.
From: J Quick (nobody at nowhere.com)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 11:03:04 GMT
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sf wrote:
> You're an idiot and you've just proven it.
What, not another 'guarentee'? I'm disappointed. It's a shame that potatoes mystify your starchy ass, spudmaster.
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2003 04:08:47 GMT
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J Quick wrote:
> What, not another 'guarentee'? I'm disappointed. It's a shame that
> potatoes mystify your starchy ass, spudmaster.
What the hell are you talking about?
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 04 Oct 2003 22:24:27 GMT
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Jill McQuown writes:
>Twice baked potatoes are simply baked potatoes with the insides removed,
>made into mashed or whipped potatoes, then the insides are added back to the
>outside and baked again.
With whole eggs whipped in they're called Queen Anne Potatoes, usually piped onto a cookie sheet and baked until golden, but often piped into potato skins too.
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 11:08:34 -0700 (PDT)
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Sheldon wrote:
> With whole eggs whipped in they're called Queen Anne Potatoes, usually piped
> onto a cookie sheet and baked until golden, but often piped into potato skins
> too.
I didn't have much luck finding Queen Anne Potatoes but did find this recipe and hoped it was same or similar to what you mentioned.
This would be something new and different for me to try so will use this as a basic recipe and pipe into the potato skins. If it comes out good, I'd like to try it on a cookie sheet too.
Duchesse Potatoes
2 lb. unpeeled potatoes
1/2 pint whole milk
1-2 egg yolks
OR
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1/4 - 1/2 stick butter
Serves 4
Scrub potatoes well and put in a saucepan of cold water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil and cover. When the potatoes are about 1/2 cooked (about 15 minutes), strain off 2/3 of the water, replace lid and reduce heat so potatoes gently steam until fully cooked. Drain and peel immediately by simply pulling off the skins. Mash while hot
While potatoes are being peeled, bring milk to a simmer. Beat eggs into hot mashed potatoes and add enough hot milk to mix to a light consistency, suitable for piping. Beat in butter and season with salt and pepper.
Notes and Tips:
If potatoes are not peeled and mashed while hot and if hot milk is not added immediately, the Duchesse Potato will be lumpy and gluey. If you only have eggs whites, this recipe will still work well. ©2003 FabulousFoods.com
In my wanderings I read where it is better Not to store potatoes next to onions or visa versa because it speeds the aging process of one or both. I have never heard of this.... do you have an opinion.
Thanks for the help.
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 03:12:03 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> There's really no secret to it. And it doesn't require sour cream, bacon
> bits or cheese. Those are things people add to the top of baked potatoes,
> but to make twice baked, all you do is what I stated above. Then add
> toppings to your hearts content.
Of course they are not required, but some of us like those things added in. Cream cheese is nice in them. Adds a subtle flavor as well as smooth texture.
From: Frogleg (frogleg at nowhere.com)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 12:42:04 GMT
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Helen C. wrote:
> I noticed that some use egg or egg whites. I'm curious as to why. Also
> some recipes used sour cream, milk, cream, or yogurt. Most used
> cheddar cheese.
Eggs or egg whites would produce a little oomph and puff to the final product. Also, the reason to make 'twice-baked' is to encorporate the kind of seasonings/flavorings/enrichments one would add to mashed potatoes. What you're doing is essentially making a tasty mashed potato mixture and cooking it in its own serving container.
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 11:41:33 -0700 (PDT)
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Frogleg wrote:
> Eggs or egg whites would produce a little oomph and puff to the final
> product. Also, the reason to make 'twice-baked' is to encorporate the
> kind of seasonings/flavorings/enrichments one would add to mashed
> potatoes. What you're doing is essentially making a tasty mashed potato
> mixture and cooking it in its own serving container.
Thanks, thats what I'm looking for... oomph, puff and tasty. I'm serving these with a nice steak next weekend so am also going for new, different, and interesting presentation.
Thanks to you and everyone else for your help and suggestions.
Very Sincerely, Helen
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 20:03:55 GMT
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Frogleg wrote:
> Eggs or egg whites would produce a little oomph and puff to the final
> product.
They also poof up with no egg.
From: Gar ()
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 10:53:46 -0500
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Frogleg wrote:
>Eggs or egg whites would produce a little oomph and puff to the final
>product. Also, the reason to make 'twice-baked' is to encorporate the
>kind of seasonings/flavorings/enrichments one would add to mashed
>potatoes. What you're doing is essentially making a tasty mashed
>potato mixture and cooking it in its own serving container.
Thanks. This thread was timely for me. I made some twice baked spuds last weekend and they were to die for. But I load them up with so much stuff thery are pretty much a meal on their own. I've been to fancy weddings and social affairs that served a very light and puffy spud which seems like a more appropriate side dish for a nice steak. When I read eggs, I thought angel food cake, which is like the texture I expierienced. I'm hoping the ones I've had weren't make with instant potatoes. I'll give the eggs a try.
From: Frogleg (frogleg at nowhere.com)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 16:15:11 GMT
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Gar wrote:
>Thanks. This thread was timely for me. I made some twice baked spuds
>last weekend and they were to die for. But I load them up with so
>much stuff thery are pretty much a meal on their own. I've been to
>fancy weddings and social affairs that served a very light and puffy
>spud which seems like a more appropriate side dish for a nice steak.
>When I read eggs, I thought angel food cake, which is like the texture
>I expierienced. I'm hoping the ones I've had weren't make with
>instant potatoes. I'll give the eggs a try.
Who knows? I'm basing my egg opinions on the poofiness of various dishes that include eggs or mayo for broiled/baked results. Forget what Alton Brown has said on the subject. I have potatos, new eggs, and (at last) electricity now, so an experiment might be in order.
From: Gar ()
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 12:24:01 -0500
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Frogleg wrote:
>Who knows? I'm basing my egg opinions on the poofiness of various
>dishes that include eggs or mayo for broiled/baked results. Forget
>what Alton Brown has said on the subject. I have potatos, new eggs,
>and (at last) electricity now, so an experiment might be in order.
I've got the stuff here too. The spud's in the oven. I'll let you know in awhile. Please post your results too.
Gar <----working at home today and not getting much done.
From: Gar ()
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 11:30:40 -0500
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Frogleg wrote:
>Who knows? I'm basing my egg opinions on the poofiness of various
>dishes that include eggs or mayo for broiled/baked results. Forget
>what Alton Brown has said on the subject. I have potatos, new eggs,
>and (at last) electricity now, so an experiment might be in order.
Well, I've made 2 batches. They're definetly much more puffy, but still not what I'm looking for. I'm afraid they must have used some instant potatoes in the mix. I've no clue when the last time I bought them, but I guess I'll cave in and try a little. <shrug>
From: Frogleg (frogleg at nowhere.com)
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 09:54:36 GMT
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Gar wrote:
>Well, I've made 2 batches. They're definetly much more puffy, but
>still not what I'm looking for. I'm afraid they must have used some
>instant potatoes in the mix. I've no clue when the last time I bought
>them, but I guess I'll cave in and try a little. <shrug>
My experiment failed. I put the potatoes in the toaster oven and forgot them. 3 hrs later, retrieved hard brown nuggets. :-(
What was the texture/appearance you had in mind that your experiment fell short of?
From: Gar ()
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 20:26:36 -0500
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Frogleg wrote:
>My experiment failed. I put the potatoes in the toaster oven and
>forgot them. 3 hrs later, retrieved hard brown nuggets. :-(
Don't ya hate when that happens? I can't tell you how many times in my early 20's I'd come home drunk and toss a frozen pzza in the oven and pass out on the couch. I'm probably lucky I never started a fire.
>What was the texture/appearance you had in mind that your experiment
>fell short of?
The only way I can describe it is to compare it to angel food cake. We're going to a wedding in a few weeks that's being hosted by someone who's hosted another wedding that had them. I'm assuming they will be served again. I'm going to work on staying sober enough to get to the bottom of this dilema. <bg>
From: Frogleg (frogleg at nowhere.com)
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 10:54:13 GMT
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Gar wrote:
>The only way I can describe it is to compare it to angel food cake.
>We're going to a wedding in a few weeks that's being hosted by someone
>who's hosted another wedding that had them. I'm assuming they will be
>served again. I'm going to work on staying sober enough to get to the
>bottom of this dilema. <bg>
Any chance of asking the provider for the secret? Lavish praise is always useful in this situation. Do report back. :-)
From: Gar ()
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 09:20:07 -0500
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Frogleg wrote:
>Any chance of asking the provider for the secret? Lavish praise is
>always useful in this situation. Do report back. :-)
It might be fun to try to get to talk to the chef. That will be the plan. I'm sure it's just some small secret used in the hotel/catering buisness.
From: Hahabogus (Not at Applicible.invalid)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 02:06:44 GMT
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Helen C. wrote:
> My sister made twice baked potatoes once and were really good. Years
> later I gave it a try and can remember that I wasn't impressed with
> mine.
I make my 2 baked from red potatoes not white baking potatoes. First I wash and clean the spuds well, picking only small to medium sized spuds, also about 3 more spuds than you think you need. These are ok as leftovers, no worry. Then I rub the spuds lightly in oil. I bake the spuds in a preheated 400F oven for an hour or so, I test the doneness by listening when I quickly grab the hot spud I listen for russeling noises and want a crispy skin. Don't burn your hands, a quick fondle wearing oven mitts does the trick. When cooked I remove them from the oven and wearing oven mits cut them in half (end to end), scoop out the flesh using a teaspoon and only partially mash the spuds (using a little butter, a little cream salt and fresh ground black pepper) . I add various items (some or all of) gratted cheese, minced green pepper, minced cooked mushrooms, chives, crumbled real bacon, roasted garlic and maybe sour cream. Stir/fold up well and heap the filling back in the skins. Top with a little more gratted cheese and return to the oven to brown up the cheese. My 2 baked potatoes aren't a smoothed or a whipped style, more of a smashed style, but people seem to like them.
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 11:24:34 -0700 (PDT)
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Hahabogus wrote:
> Then I rub the spuds lightly in oil. I bake the spuds in a preheated
> 400F oven for an hour or so, I test the doneness by listening when I
> quickly grab the hot spud I listen for russeling noises and want a
> crispy skin.
Thanks for reminding me, I've been wrapping them in foil and cooking them on the gas grill throughout the summer. I do want these to have a firmer outer shell.
Also, all your stuffing suggestions sound great and is much appreciated. Variety is nice cause cook a lot more potatoes during the cooler months. Never tried the mushrooms or the roasted garlic in potatoes before.
Thanks again.
From: Hahabogus (Not at Applicible.invalid)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 19:53:54 GMT
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Helen C. wrote:
> I've been wrapping them in foil and cooking
> them on the gas grill throughout the summer.
Have you been slicing them *almost* thru and alternating say a slice of onion then a slice of green pepper and/or garlic between the fanned out wedges/coins?. Topped with a little butter or margarine and wrapped in foil well these are good on the grill.
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 17:54:15 -0700 (PDT)
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Hahabogus wrote:
> Have you been slicing them *almost* thru and alternating say a slice of
> onion then a slice of green pepper and/or garlic between the fanned out
> wedges/coins?. Topped with a little butter or margarine and wrapped in
> foil well these are good on the grill.
No, I have never done that but have heard of it and always wondered if they were good. I cook on the grill in the cooler months too so will give it a try. If they come out tasty, I'm sure I can think of all kinds of things to stuff between the wedges/coins. Thanks....
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 20:06:05 GMT
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Hahabogus wrote:
> Then I rub the spuds lightly in oil. I bake the spuds in a preheated
> 400F oven for an hour or so, I test the doneness by listening when I
> quickly grab the hot spud I listen for russeling noises and want a crispy
> skin.
Does the salt fall off as they cook?? When you bake them... is it on the rack or in a pan?
From: Hahabogus (Not at Applicible.invalid)
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 21:21:43 GMT
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sf wrote:
> Does the salt fall off as they cook?? When you bake them...
> is it on the rack or in a pan?
Where does it say I rub in salt? I imagion if I rub the potatoes in oil then sprinkled on the salt, that when handled that some of the salt would fall off. But since I don't use salt on the outside of the potato when cooking, I can't be sure.
From: sf (nobody at pipeline.com)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 04:49:48 GMT
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Hahabogus wrote:
> Where does it say I rub in salt? I imagion if I rub the potatoes in oil
> then sprinkled on the salt, that when handled that some of the salt would
> fall off. But since I don't use salt on the outside of the potato when
> cooking, I can't be sure.
Ooops. Deja salt encrusted spuds, I guess. IMO: they crisp up just fine w/o oil.
From: Hahabogus (Not at Applicible.invalid)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 05:22:01 GMT
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sf wrote:
> Ooops. Deja salt encrusted spuds, I guess. IMO: they crisp
> up just fine w/o oil.
They might do just fine without the oil, but I think the oil adds to the crispness.
From: Bob Pastorio (pastorio at rica.net)
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 14:40:21 -0400
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Hahabogus wrote:
> They might do just fine without the oil, but I think the oil adds to the
> crispness.
Actually, oil softens the skins. They're crisper without.
From: HacJec at webtv.net (Helen C.)
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 18:08:52 -0700 (PDT)
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Bob Pastorio wrote:
> Actually, oil softens the skins. They're crisper without.
My mom used to put a Very thin coat of oil on baked potatoes when we were kids and they did come out kind of crispy. Must have had something to do with the temp she cooked them at or possibly the type of potatoes. May have even had something to do with how dry the skins were when she oiled them.
I started eliminating the oil when I started to eat the skins of my baked potatoes done in the oven because the skins were softer that way.