Ingredients

• 1 russet potatoes, at least 8 ounces
• olive oil
• coarse salt, such as kosher salt or sea salt
• butter, sour cream, margarine or whatever toppings your heart desires

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. While oven heats, scrub potatoes under cold water, dry with a towel and pierce a few times on each side with a fork. Place potatoes on a microwavable plate and microwave for 6 minutes, turning halfway through the process.
• Brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt, pressing it gingerly against the potatoes (be careful, they are already hot). Bake on an open oven rack, with a lined baking sheet on a rack below (we like using our nonstick Cooking baking sheet liners, but foil or parchment will also work); the potatoes will drip just a little oil or moisture from the pierced potato itself, and you don’t want this to burn onto the oven floor.
• Bake potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they pierce easily with a sharp knife and the skins are crisp. Serve with your favourite potato toppings.