A different way to enjoy salt-crusted baked potatoes is at a New England clambake.
Roasting a baked potato on a fire uses techniques ranging from wrapping the potato in foil, tossing it into a low fire and hoping for the best, to much more sophisticated methods. Roast the baked potato as part of an entire meal, all prepared simultaneously on the campfire. Preparing the potatoes with a fire imparts a distinctive texture and smoky flavor that serves as a meal by itself or as a complement to a larger spread.
Instructions
1. Dig a fire pit deep enough to accommodate the potatoes and two layers of seaweed that are each at least 3 inches wide.
2. Cover the bottom of the pit with large rocks.
3. Pile firewood over the rocks, ignite it and allow it to burn down to ashes.
4. Sweep away the ashes, and lay a metal grate over the rocks.
5. Cover the metal grate with 3 to 4 inches of seaweed.
6. Place the potatoes over the seaweed, cover them with another layer of seaweed and cover the entire pit with wet burlap sacks. Keep the burlap sacks and the top layer of seaweed wet.
7. Check to see if the potatoes are ready to eat after two hours of baking. Allow as little heat as possible to escape while removing one large potato from the fire pit. Insert a knife or fork into the potato. The inner flesh should be firm but flaky and the skin crispy and wrinkled. Depending on how much heat you are working with, the potatoes may require an additional hour before they are ready to eat.
Tags: baked potato, burlap sacks, layer seaweed, metal grate, over rocks, seaweed cover
