When it comes to your jacket tatties, it’s hard to go wrong. There’s so many tips and tricks flying around for the ‘perfect baked potato’ but sometimes simplicity is the key.

Firstly, which spud?

You all know me too well by now – a Maris Piper or King Eddie are my no.1 spud varieties. In supermarkets, you will generally find a lot of ambiguous ‘baking potatoes’ which sometimes are the best ones! I generally try to avoid waxy potatoes for baking as the middles don’t have the same fluffy texture. Waxy spuds are best used in potato salads, try to avoid them for mashed potato too as again, they don’t produce that fluffy goodness. 

How to get that perfect crispy skin

There’s a few key things to remember when you’re attempting to achieve that ultimate, crispy crunchy skin on your jacket tatties. A hot oven is the first step. I like to cook my potatoes at 200ºc/400ºf. Usually I pop them straight on the rack after pricking all over with a fork so the steam can escape and give you a drier skin all over. Always oil up your spuds too! A good coating of olive oil and some table salt is the way to go. One thing you should never do when oven roasting potatoes is wrapping them in foil – it creates a little spuddy spa day and acts like a steamy sauna so you’ll never be able to get that DELICIOUS skin you need in your life. Unless you like a softer skin that is…

My fave toppings

When you spend so much time trying to get that cronchy skin, you have to make the perfect toppings. I know it can be a bit of a love it or hate it situation but I am a true lover of a tuna crunch spud. Loads of peppers and red onion, a tin of tuna and a bit of vinaigrette – chefs kiss. If you’re not a fishy fan then I can always recommend a chilli, easy to make veggie and vegan if that’s your thing. I’m neither of those so I make a rich beef brisket chilli and top with lashings of grated cheddar, sour cream and fresh sliced chillis.

I recently created a full series dedicated to the humble jacket. You can find every kinda topping, from French onion to full English and cowboy butter.

Best Way to Cook?

There’s so many ways to cook your spuds. My favourite method is the oven as it’s classic, but we all know I have an obsession with my air fryer so you can do exactly the same method as you do with your oven, but they take a little bit less time to cook. If you’re the outdoorsy type, this is one time where I do recommend wrapping your potatoes in tin foil and nestling them into the embers of your campfire for a few hours. You won’t get a crispy skin, but it’ll be way more tasty than the burnt-yet-raw sausages your dad dishes up off the BBQ.

Now, if you’re feeling extra and have a load of salt. Salt-baked jackets are DELICIOUS. Instead of a super crispy skin, you get a softness that is just bursting with flavour. I used to salt bake fish when I worked in restaurants and the method works beautifully with spuds too. Watch the tutorial here.

Just to double check…I can use an air fryer? 

Er….yes! Of course you bloomin can. Here is my air fryer recipe which I use when I need to save time. They’re also just as delicious too, so you’re not sacrificing texture or taste.