French Onion Twice-Baked Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 6 russet potatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 yellow onions approximately 1.5 pounds/600 grams
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon thyme leaves 3 long stems
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup unsalted butter 4 tablespoons/2 ounces/
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup sour cream 2.7 ounces/75 grams
• ½ cup heavy cream 118ml
• 2 cups gruyere, shredded 6 ounces/ 168 grams
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°
• Scrub potatoes under running water, removing any dirt. Prick each potato on all sides, about 10 times with a fork.
• Coat the exterior of the potatoes with 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle all 6 potatoes with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Place on a sheet pan and put in the oven.
• Bake the potatoes for one hour, until you can squeeze the sides. Cool for approximately 25 minutes.

CARAMELIZE ONIONS

• While the potatoes are baking, caramelize the onions. Slice two onions into thin strips, root to stem end.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sliced onions.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir the onions occasionally so they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. it is best to slowly caramelize the onions so they do not burn.
• After 15 minutes and as the onions cook, a liquid will be released which will leave a residue on the bottom of the pan. This residue is known as fond which will turn brown.
• Add ¼ cup of water to deglaze the pan. Scrap the bottom to release the fond. After 10 more minutes, you will need to repeat this step another time.
• Five minutes after the last deglazing, add the thyme leaves and ¼ cup of white wine. Scrap the bottom of the pan to release the fond. The onions should be a translucent brown color. Take the pan off the heat to wait for the potatoes.

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

• Reduce the oven temperature to 400°.
• When the potatoes have cooled for about 25 minutes, cut the top third off. Scrap the interior of the potatoes out, mashing or ricing into a bowl. I like to use a grapefruit spoon for this process. I think the serrated edge helps.
• Add the unsalted butter, kosher salt, ground black pepper, sour cream, heavy cream, and 1 cup of shredded gruyere cheese to the bowl of mashed potato. Mix until smooth and creamy.
• Add the potato insides back to the shells. Gently add the mix to the skins, being careful not to mash everything. Sprinkle ½ cup of gruyere cheese on the top of the potatoes. Place on a sheet tray and back in the oven for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, take the potatoes out of the oven. Add the caramelized onions to the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the last ½ cup of shredded gruyere on top of the caramelized onions.
• Place the sheet tray under a broiler to brown the cheese until bubbling. Sprinkle chopped chives on top of the potatoes.