Salt crust on baked potatoes

[duker]

I have been trying to find out how to make baked potatoes that have a salt crust on the skin. Does anyone know how it's done?

 

[Poppinfresh]

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Beat an egg white in a shallow bowl. Put sea salt or kosher salt in another shallow bowl or plate. Wash and dry 4 russet/baking potatoes. Prick all over with a fork. Roll in beaten egg white and then in salt until well-coated. Bake on the rack in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. Serve with butter and/or sour cream, and freshly ground black pepper to taste…. or any other topping you’d like.

 

[duker]

I tried the oil and kosher salt but after wrapping in foil and cooking, the salt had melted and left a stickey mess rather than the little chunks.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Hence why I changed my post :P. Re-read. No oil involved. I had to give it some thought (and then gank actual instructions)

Basically what you need to get a salt crust on a potato is a glue. Oil isn't really "glue-like"...proteins, however, make great glues...and nothing has more protein in liquid form than an egg.

 

[duker]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

[AllenOK]

Here's the way I've done it for years. Prick the potato all over with a fork. Brush the spud with either melted butter, or bacon grease (I prefer the bacon grease). Sprinkle the tater with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Bake as you normally do.