Salt-baked Potatoes With Goat Cheese

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups kosher salt
• 18 small potatoes, halved and scooped out slightly with a melon baller
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 14 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• cracked black pepper, to taste
• 36 small basil leaves

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400ºf (200ºc).
• 2 spread salt in the bottom of an extra-large rectangular baking dish.
• 3 in a large bowl, toss potatoes with 2 tbsp (25 ml) olive oil. press potatoes, cut-side up, in salt. roast potatoes for about 35 to 40 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. remove potatoes from oven and cool slightly. scrape excess salt from potatoes with spoon and place on a clean baking sheet.
• 4 turn on the broiler. heat remaining ½ tbsp (7 ml) olive oil in a small nonstick skillet. add garlic slices and fry until golden and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. transfer to a medium stainless-steel bowl. add the goat cheese, thyme and black pepper. stir to combine. with a teaspoon, divide goat cheese mixture among potato cups. broil potatoes for about 1 minute or until bubbling. serve potato cups garnished with basil leaves.