There are so many different ways to make a baked potato with some people favouring an air fryer over a traditional oven.
No matter how they’re cooked, however, one thing everyone wants to achieve is crunchy skin and a softness in the middle.
Chef Nigella Lawson has her own unique method to get them just right and it calls for just three ingredients.
A shared in her cookbook Simply Nigella, the chef said: “I suppose they are a mixture of roast and baked potatoes: the tops crisp and cook to a beautiful gold, but you still have the fluffiness underneath.
“If you want the skins to be crunchy, then pour a little olive oil into your hand and rub this onto the skins before you bake.”
Method
A hot oven is essential to crisp up the skins of the potatoes so start by preheating the appliance to 220C.
Next, prepare the potatoes by cutting them raw across the length to form two shallow halves from each one.
Score a diamond pattern of grooves on the fleshy core of the spuds ensuring they’re no more than 3mm deep and about 2cm apart.
Place the spuds cut side-up on a baking sheet or in a shallow roasting tray then drizzle each potato half with a little oil and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.
Pepper or other seasonings can be added at this point, perhaps garlic granules or chilli flakes for extra flavour.
Cook the potatoes for 45 minutes in the heated oven, or until the tops are golden and the insides soft.
