Posh Jacket Potatoes Recipes

TWICE BAKED POTATOES (STUFFED JACKET POTATOES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan). Place a rack on a tray (recommended but not critical).
• Prick potatoes: Wash, scrub and dry potatoes well. Prick each potato 8 times with a fork.
• Oil and salt: Put potatoes in a bowl, pour over oil and rub onto potatoes. Then sprinkle over salt and use your hands to coat. (Just do this as best you can. Some will stick, much will not!)
• Bake: Place potatoes on rack and bake for 75 minutes or until you can pierce with a small knife with no resistance.
• Cook bacon: Place bacon in a cold non-stick pan over medium heat. When the fat starts to melt, turn the heat up to high and cook bacon until golden. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat butter and cream: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then add cream and heat until hot, but don't let it boil. (You could also do this in a microwave)
• Lower oven: Turn oven down to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan).
• Scoop out potato flesh: Allow potatoes to cool enough so you can handle them (or use a tea towel). Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out potato flesh, leaving 0.7cm (1/3") thick layer of potato still stuck to skin.
• Mash potato: Place potato flesh in a bowl and mash while hot until smooth.
• Add-ins: Add half the cheese (save the rest for topping), most of the bacon (save a bit for garnish), all the green onion, hot cream and butter, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Stuff and top with cheese: Fill potato skins with the mashed potato mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
• Bake: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbly.
• Serve: Serve immediately, garnish with sour cream, reserved bacon and chives.

POSH JACKET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Bake the potatoes for about an hour, or until soft in the middle.
• Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Stir in the milk and butter. Stir in the pesto or other topping of your choice (see steps 3, 4 and 5) and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins.
• For the bacon and mushroom topping, fry the bacon until crisp, then add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat for a few minutes.
• For the spring onion and soured cream topping, heat the oil over a high heat and fry the spring onions until soft. Stir into the potato flesh along with the soured cream.
• For the pepper and goats' cheese topping, cut the roasted peppers into strips and stir into the potato flesh along with the goats' cheese and basil.
• Transfer the potatoes to a roasting tin. Scatter over the Parmesan (for pesto topping) or cheddar (for bacon and mushroom topping), or dust with paprika (for spring onion topping). Drizzle over a little olive oil and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the skins are crisp.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.

CLASSIC JACKET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub the olive oil over the potatoes and put on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for 20 mins.
• Turn down the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake for 45 mins-1 hr until the skin is crisp and the flesh soft.
• Cut a cross on top of each potato, squeeze the sides, add the soured cream and your favourite toppings.

PERFECT JACKET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub a little oil and seasoning over the potatoes, then bake on a baking sheet for 25 mins. Turn down the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins more until the flesh is tender and the skin crisp and golden. For a quicker option, prick a potato with a fork. Wrap in a sheet of kitchen paper and microwave on High for 8-10 mins until soft inside. For crisp skin, rub with a little oil, then flash under a hot grill, turning often. To serve, slice a cross in the centre, squeeze the base to 'pop' the top, then choose your favourite filling.
• For the salmon and soft cheese filling, mix 50g light soft cheese with a squeeze lemon juice and seasoning. Pile into a jacket potato and flake 1 hot-smoked salmon fillet on top. Sprinkle with 1 heaped tsp capers and a little lemon zest.