Crisp-Skinned Jacket Potatoes
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Large baking potatoes baked until fluffy inside, then oiled and salted right at the end for a genuinely crisp skin, split open and loaded with butter, soured cream and chives.
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Method
- 1
Heat the Oven. Preheat to 230°C (210°C fan) at least 20 minutes ahead, so the potatoes go into a properly hot oven from the start. A hot oven from the first minute is what drives a long, even bake rather than a slow, soggy one.
- 2
Dry and Prick the Potatoes. Dry the scrubbed potatoes thoroughly, then prick each one 4-5 times with a fork. These holes let the steam that builds up inside escape gradually instead of splitting the skin.
- 3
Bake Until Fluffy. Bake directly on the oven rack, with a tray on the shelf below to catch any drips, for 50-60 minutes. A skewer should slide in with no resistance, or a probe thermometer should read 96-99°C at the centre, the point at which the starch inside has fully swollen into a fluffy texture.
- 4
Crisp the Skin. Take the potatoes out, brush the skins with oil, sprinkle with the flaky salt and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Oiling now, rather than at the start, gives a genuinely crisp skin instead of a leathery one, since it hasn't had time to steam into the surface.
- 5
Open and Fill. Holding each potato in a tea towel, cut a cross on top and squeeze the base gently to pop it open. Fill immediately with the butter, soured cream, chives and pepper, and serve right away, since leaving it to sit lets trapped steam soften the skin again.
Storage
Unfilled baked potatoes keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat in a hot oven at around 200°C (180°C fan) for 15-20 minutes until piping hot (74°C) right through to the centre. It's best not to freeze once filled with soured cream and butter, as the texture suffers on thawing. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- baking tray
- fork
- probe thermometer (optional)
- clean tea towel
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 361 kcal |
| Protein | 6.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 55.1 g |
| of which sugars | 2.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 13.8 g |
| of which saturates | 6.9 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Salt | 0.66 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
