Baked potatoes are an incredibly tasty and flexible meal, ideal for an array of toppings, but they can be notoriously slow to cook.
Good news for jacket potato lovers: a culinary enthusiast has shared a brilliant hack to whip up the “perfect” baked potato in mere minutes.
It involves a little hack that ensures both rapid cooking and impeccable texture every time.
Food writer Becca Hayes has divulged her recipe for achieving fluffy insides and crispy skins on her Easy Cheesy Vegetarian blog.
Picking the proper potato is her initial step; some varieties excel in baking due to their characteristics.
Supermarkets usually label potato bags indicating their best uses, yet Maris Pipers, King Edwards, Yukon Golds, or Rooster are typically the top choices for baking.
Becca starts by selecting and prepping her favourite potatoes, followed by pricking the skin with a fork to avoid any splits.
After, she puts them in the microwave for six to 10 minutes (dependent on size) to tenderise. A fork or sharp knife comes in handy to test if the centre is almost soft.
By microwaving the potatoes first, you can achieve a soft, fluffy middle and avoid the dreaded tough skin.
Turning the potato halfway through is essential for uniform cooking; when it’s ready, the skin should start to shrivel slightly.
Initially, Becca said she doesn’t bother oiling her potatoes, but later discovered that a bit of oil remarkably elevates the crispness of the skin and boosts flavour overall.
She recommended adding a small amount of oil over the potato and massaging it in, with a touch of salt if preferred.
Once the potato is almost done, it can be baked for anywhere between 10 minutes to half an hour in the air fryer to achieve your preferred level of crispy skin.
Following this, all that’s left is to slice it open and pile on the toppings, noting, “a dollop of butter is a must” as it perfectly melts into the hot potato.