Fanned Potato

Yield: 12 whole potato servings, or 24 half potato servings

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
• 5 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, about 12 medium-size, peeled, rinsed
• About 20 small fresh bay leaves
• About 3/4 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth or vegetable broth
• Seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste

Procedure:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 385 degrees. In a large skillet or heavy bottomed, flameproof roasting pan, heat butter and olive oil on medium-high heat. When butter melts, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. 2. Make crosswise slices in potatoes about 1/8 inch apart, but don't cut all the way through. There are two approaches that work well. Either place potato in the well of a large wooden spoon and make the cuts (the sides of the spoon's bowl will prevent you from cutting all the way through). Or on the cutting board, place a chopstick on either side of the potato (the height of the chopstick will prevent you from cutting all the way through). Insert one or two bay leaves in each sliced potato.
3. Pour broth in skillet or roasting pan (use caution – it might splatter). Add potatoes in a single layer, placing them so the sliced side is up. Using a large spoon, ladle broth mixture over the tops of potatoes. Lightly season with seasoned salt (more salt will be added later, this is primarily for color). Place in preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove from oven (if using skillet, remember that the handle is very hot). Move oven rack to position about 8 inches from broiler element. Turn oven to broil. Spoon pan juices over potatoes and season with coarse salt. Broil potatoes until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn on oven light and watch carefully because they can burn easily.
Nutrition information (per serving): 245 calories (44 percent from fat), 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 400 mg sodium, 2 g fiber