To make baked potatoes, first preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Wash the potatoes well, then wipe them dry.

Pierce each potato with a fork in 5–6 places, on all sides.

Rub the potatoes with oil or fat, and coat them with salt on all sides. This is what makes the skin tasty and crispy.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 2 hours. Turn them over roughly halfway through. Raise the temperature to 425°F (220°C) 20 minutes before the end. Don’t forget: the potatoes should be baked whole, with the skin on.

Take the potatoes out of the oven. With a sharp knife, cut each one lengthwise, quite deeply, then make a smaller cut crosswise as well. Open up the potato with a knife and fork, scrape the inside a little with the fork, and serve with your favorite topping. Be careful, because the potatoes are very hot at this stage. Touch the baking sheet only with oven mitts, and touch the potatoes only with utensils. But don’t let them cool down, because they won’t be as good.