Bern's Twice-Baked Idaho Russet

Before you start

• Source high-quality bacon and render it properly.

  If butcher-counter slab bacon is unavailable, use a high-quality thick-cut supermarket brand. The key is the render; never use pre-packaged bacon bits, which lack the rendered pork fat necessary to properly flavor the potato.

• Do not substitute the potato variety.

  Yukon Golds or waxy varieties lack the structural starch needed for a fluffy interior and crispy jacket, so use only Idaho Russets.

Ingredients

• Idaho Russet potatoes4 large
• extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp
• coarse kosher salt1 tbsp
• unsalted European-style butter1/2 cup
• full-fat sour cream1 cup
• heavy whipping cream1/2 cup
• slices thick-cut smoked bacon6 large
• sharp yellow cheddar cheese1 1/2 cup
• fresh chives1/4 cup
• cloves garlic2 small
• kosher salt1 tsp
• freshly cracked black pepper1/2 tsp
• sweet Hungarian paprika1/2 tsp

Method

1. 01

   Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare the potatoes.

   Puncture each potato five to six times with a fork so they don't explode in the heat, rub generously with olive oil, and coat entirely in the coarse kosher salt. Bake directly on the middle rack for 60 to 75 minutes, until the skin is deeply wrinkled and a paring knife slides into the center with zero resistance.

2. 02

   Hollow out the potatoes while they are still hot.

   Let the baked potatoes sit for exactly 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the top third off horizontally. Using a spoon, carefully scoop the fluffy white interior into a large mixing bowl, leaving exactly a quarter-inch to half-inch margin of flesh attached to the skin. This margin acts as the architectural foundation; scrape too close, and the jacket will collapse during the second bake.

3. 03

   Emulsify the potato flesh with the butter and dairy.

   Immediately drop the cubed, room-temperature butter into the hot, scooped potato flesh. Let it melt for 60 seconds, then aggressively beat with a hand mixer or robust masher to coat the starch granules in fat. Add the warm heavy cream, full-fat sour cream, and garlic paste, whipping until shockingly silky. Fold in one cup of the cheddar, the pulverized bacon dust, and most of the chives, reserving a pinch of both for garnish. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

4. 04

   Stuff the shells and bake until molten.

   Generously spoon the luxurious filling back into the crispy potato shells, mounding it high above the rim to signal true steakhouse excess. Top each towering potato with the remaining half-cup of sharp cheddar and a dusting of sweet paprika. Return to the 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is a bubbling canopy of golden-brown perfection.

5. 05

   Garnish and serve immediately.

   Let rest for 3 minutes, then hit the top of the molten cheese with a tiny dollop of cold sour cream, the reserved bacon dust, and a final scattering of green chives. Serve alongside a Luger-finished Porterhouse and an unapologetic cast-iron dish of heavy creamed spinach.

Notes

• These potatoes can be prepped a day in advance.

  Execute the recipe through the stuffing phase up to 24 hours ahead. Cover loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When the steak is resting, pull them from the fridge, top with cheese, and bake, adding 10 minutes to the second bake time.

• Do not use pre-shredded cheese.

  Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that ruin the melt, so you must grate it fresh from the block.