I will be the first one to admit that I have had a long period of looking down on it. It turns out though, that like with many things in life, things done well can truly make you a convert. A well cooked baked potato should be fluffy inside and have a beautifully crispy skin that is a pleasure to eat.
The second component of a good baked potato, in my opinion, is a flavoursome and saucy filling. The concept itself though, that of a steaming hot baked potato filled with saucy beans speaks to me, sure. Homemade beans are not only tastier, more nutritious, but they are cheaper too.
I like to make a big pot, portion it and freeze. I defrost them as needed and I enjoy them on a piece of toasted sourdough or in my baked potato. Below are a few pointers that may be helpful if you would like to attempt this meal.
If you cannot find potatoes this big, the dish will look a little less impressive and you may need more potatoes but it will still be nice provided they are starchy not waxy potatoes. Be sure to adjust baking time though. I simply had it in my cupboard and felt like this would be a great dish to use it for. You can use a hot smoky sauce like chipotle Tabasco or some dried chilli flakes instead.
You could also use a small dollop of marmite yeast extract instead if you have it. BEANS : I used small 7mm white kidney beans also known as haricot or navy beans, which I soaked overnight and cooked until soft. I added a piece of kombu to help with digestion of sugars present in the beans and a bit of baking soda to soften the skins.
