Baked potatoes are one of the easiest dinners to make, but can come out the oven flavourless or even soggy if they are not cooked properly. Potatoes are mostly made up of water, and when they are in the oven they release a lot of steam so they need to be prepared if you want them to crisp up so you get a tasty skin.
Luckily Chef Billy Parisi, a classically trained chef has shared it is really easy to make golden and crispy baked potatoes, as all you need is a little bit of salt. Chef Billy said: “I truly believe the way to achieve the best-baked potato is by salting it. It’s a simple process of coating it in olive oil and salt and baking it. This will ensure the entire potato is seasoned from the outside in.”
Salt draws moisture from the potato, causing it to dry out. This results in less steam while cooking, and the skin will be much crisper.
Taking more of the moisture out of the skin also concentrates the natural flavour of the potato to make it more savoury rather than bland.
It will not cause the potatoes to taste salt, but instead make sure you get the perfect crunch on the outside and make it much more enjoyable to eat.
This may sound simple but taking the time to salt potatoes before cooking them greatly improves the flavour and texture to ensure you cook baked potatoes perfectly every time you make them.
How to make the tastiest baked potato
You will need (for five people):
- Five big baking potatoes
- Four tablespoons of olive oil
- Two tablespoons of salt
Method
To begin, preheat the oven to 190C or Gas Mark 5 and line a tray with baking paper.
Wash the potatoes by rinsing them under a cold water tap, and then run with your hands to get rid of any dirt. Then, pat the potatoes dry with paper towels and piece several times with a fork.
Add the olive oil and salt to a bowl, then mix together with a spoon. Take the potatoes one at a time and place it in the bowl until the skin is completely coated in the salt mixture.
Place the potatoes on the tray after coating them, then place in the oven to cook for 60 minutes.
When they are ready, your baked potatoes should have a really tasty, crispy skin while still being fluffy on the inside.