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1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F.
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2
Peel potatoes, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as peeled (to prevent browning).
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3
Working with 1 potato at a time, cut a thin sliver lengthwise from 1 side of potato with a sharp paring knife to make it stand flat on a cutting board, if necessary.
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4
Lay chopsticks or spoons parallel to each other on cutting board and arrange potato lengthwise between them.
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5
Holding chopsticks against potato, make crosswise cuts, 1/8 inch apart, down to chopsticks (do not cut all the way down to chopsticks on narrow ends of potato or slices will fall off).
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6
Drop potato back into water after cutting.
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7
Line bottom of a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) with parchment, then butter parchment.
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8
Drain potatoes and pat dry.
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9
Brush potatoes all over with 2 tablespoons butter (total), then arrange in baking pan and sprinkle with salt.
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10
Cover pan tightly with foil and bake potatoes until just tender, 40 to 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake until tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
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11
Preheat broiler.
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12
Brush potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and broil about 5 inches from heat until golden, about 2 minutes.
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13
Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and serve immediately.
