- 4 Idaho potatoes (8 ounces each) scrubbed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, very finely minced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 ounces Bleu de Bresse or other mild blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Paprika, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prick the potatoes all over with the tines of a fork, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 1¼ hours.
- Melt the butter in a skillet, add the garlic, and cook over very low heat for 1½ minutes; do not let it brown. Set it aside.
- Remove the potatoes but leave the oven on. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly. Then cut a lengthwise slit in the top of each potato and carefully remove the pulp, leaving the skin intact. Place the pulp in a mixing bowl, and set the skins aside.
- Mash the potatoes with a fork. Add the garlic butter, sour cream, cheese, parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, and then carefully stuff the mixture back into the potato skins, mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the top lightly with paprika.
- Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons chives and serve immediately.