Rinse and scrub the potato to make sure any dirt or debris that might have been stuck to the skin has been removed. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Using a fork, carefully pierce the potato all over 5-8 times.
Wrap the potato in a paper towel and place it on a microwave-safe plate and place it in your microwave. Set the timer for 5 minutes. About 2 ½-3 minutes into the cooking time, open the door to the microwave and turn the potato over with an oven mitt or a doubled-up kitchen towel so it cooks evenly throughout.
When the five minutes is up, take your potato out. The skin will have loosened a bit. Using a knife, pierce the skin. If it goes through to the center of the potato easily, you are ready to go. If not, keep cooking the potato in 30-second increments, checking between each round, until it is done.
Allow it to cool for a minute or two and then cut it down the middle and spread it just a bit. Top with a pat of unsalted butter and sprinkle with flakey sea salt and a little bit of ground black pepper if you want a touch of heat.
If you've tried this method, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
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Notes
Total cooking time will, of course, depend greatly on the size of your potato, so please watch them closely! In terms of cooking more than one, you can, but you should be cautious. If you need to do a bunch of them in batches, I would say no more than 1-2 at a time. Always be sure to keep an eye on them as you would when microwaving anything. This could require more cooking time.