Jacket Potato with Bacon, Mushroom, and Peppercorn Sauce #

Categories:
New 2006, potato

4 medium baking potatoes; scrubbed
8 oz bacon; chopped
8 oz Button mushrooms; sliced
1/4 cup brandy
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
1 cup cream (heavy)
Salt and pepper
Butter; for topping
green onions; sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat potatoes with oil and bake for 1 hour. Saute bacon until almost done; add mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Pour brandy first into a measuring cup (for safety) and then into the pan. Carefully ignite with a long match. After the alcohol burns off and the flame has died, stir in the peppercorns which have been soaked in cold water and then crushed. Stir in the milk and heat through without boiling. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix some cornstarch with a little milk to thicken if needed. If it gets too thick, just add some more milk. Cut open the baked potatoes, top each with a dollop of butter, then cover with the sauce. Top with some green onions. We served this with taco burgers and it was good.

Contributor: Paula Deen

Yield: 4 servings