Jacket potatoes – stabby stabby

[ringo]

One of my favourite combinations, I discovered it in my teens when I used to make toasted sandwiches with cheese, mayo, baked beans and hash in. Works a treat.

 

[Wookey]

Cottage cheese, chopped chives and Cheddar.

I also olive oil and salt the skin before they go in the oven for that savoury crunchfest at the end.

 

[subversplat]

Naked with a big X cut across the top to the centre. Baked for 1hr 15mins. Served with lots of marg, fresh black pepper and either baked beans and cold tinned sweetcorn (for the hot/cold texture) or hot or cold chilli.

 

[moose]

Wash, rub Maldon salt flakes into wet skin, stab lightly, bake for ages, then (the most important bit!!!) break open quickly, rather than cutting open, so all the steam escapes rapidly, leaving gorgeous fluffiness.

 

[Geri]

I also rub the skins with salt - then stab them a few times with a fork or knife (whatever comes to hand) and cook them in the oven. I don't bother with foil, I just put them straight onto the shelf. I usually overcook them as I like the skins crispy.

Cheese and coleslaw is my preferred topping - cheese first. And grated, not sliced cheese like one weird place in Cornwall.

 

[Herbsman.]

Wash, rub Maldon salt flakes into wet skin, stab lightly, bake for ages, then (the most important bit!!!) break open quickly, rather than cutting open, so all the steam escapes rapidly, leaving gorgeous fluffiness.

mmm lovely gourmet salt

 

[twisted_angel]

I have a metal prong thing you put up to 4 spuds on and it cooks them quickly and evenly, no foil so the skin goes crisp..its the best part

 

[May Kasahara]

One of my favourite combinations, I discovered it in my teens when I used to make toasted sandwiches with cheese, mayo, baked beans and hash in. Works a treat.

I think I may have discovered the source of your fondness

 

[moomoo]

Cheese and coleslaw is my preferred topping - cheese first. And grated, not sliced cheese like one weird place in Cornwall.

That bit is important. We went out to lunch this week and I had to stop the woman serving as she was about to put the coleslaw on first.

 

[scifisam]

Wash, rub with salt and olive oil, pierce several times with an ordinary kitchen knife, microwave while oven heats (you do have to pierce the potatoes if you're going to use the microwave!) stick on prongs, bake till crispy. Serve with anything at all. I quite like them nekkid.

Vivaldi potatoes are good for baking in their jackets, as are Estima and Marfona. To connossieurs, there is a big difference in taste between different potato varieties!

I have a metal prong thing you put up to 4 spuds on and it cooks them quickly and evenly, no foil so the skin goes crisp..its the best part

I have one of those too - I think that's what Biddlybee found at the charity shop. Mine was bought at some mega-cheap homewares place on Bethnal Green Rd. I am a sucker for cheap gadgets.

 

[May Kasahara]

That bit is important. We went out to lunch this week and I had to stop the woman serving as she was about to put the coleslaw on first.

True dat. Cheese needs to go on first so it melts just a bit, and prevents the dressing on the coleslaw from liquifying too much in the heat...

 

[Part 2]

Put em in the oven with a metal thing stuck in, a spoon handle if you haven't got a skewer.

Someone told me salt makes the sin more crispy but I never use salt.

Most often served with Campbells mushroom soup with extra mushrooms and spinach, and some grated/cream cheese in our house.

 

[Tank Girl]

and it made sense when i was told by the wife who was told by somebody else

it was tarannau of course

 

[Geri]

That bit is important. We went out to lunch this week and I had to stop the woman serving as she was about to put the coleslaw on first.

That happened to me once - I almost exploded with rage!

You'd think they wouldn't need to be told.

 

[London_Calling]

Put em in the oven with a metal thing stuck in, a spoon handle if you haven't got a skewer.

I'm guessing it's just got to be metal (so it conducts the heat), and only metal (so, say, the handle doesn't melt) - Plan A: Look around the high street for metal only implements with a pointy end.


Some really good, simple tips here folks, thankya all.

 

[Ms T]

Absolutely no stabbing before they go in the oven. Nigel Slater says not to and he is a kitchen god. Then bash them open with your fist when they're done so the steam escapes quickly and they go all fluffy, like wot moose said.

Chilli is my favourite topping.

 

[Superape]

Microwave for 3-5 minutes dependign on the spud.

Coat in olive oil & a sprinkle of salt.

Roast the fucker til it's dead, DEAD I tells ya.

Butter, cheese, beans, jalapeno peppers. mmmmmmm.

 

[kalidarkone]

This also sounds very interesting - I'm due to be in there in the next couple of days to leer at the weekend staff, I'll be sure to look at for the Vivadi's. Are they available during all four seasons*?



* tumbleweed

Yeah I bought some yesterday cos of this thread LOL they are lush, mind you they are just ordinary potato size

 

[RubyToogood]

I had a phase of not stabbing my potatoes, but then I had a couple of unfortunate incidents where they exploded and I was left dinnerless, so I went back to stabbing them again.

I like Quark on mine, or tuna and sweetcorn, or cheese. I sometimes get a takeaway one with coronation chicken.

 

[bluestreak]

Naked with a big X cut across the top to the centre. Baked for 1hr 15mins. Served with lots of marg, fresh black pepper and either baked beans and cold tinned sweetcorn (for the hot/cold texture)

c'est bon.

 

[milesy]

I like Quark on mine

i prefer leptons.

 

[RubyToogood]

Score a shallow line around the circumference.

I'm intrigued by this technique actually. How does it come out?

 

[Maggot]

Absolutely no stabbing before they go in the oven. Nigel Slater says not to and he is a kitchen god.

But how do you stop them exploding?

I suppose Slater uses his godly powers to do so, but what about us mere mortals?

 

[milesy]

i've never had an unstabbed jacket spud explode.

 

[tarannau]

Neither have I. Bleeding terrorist potatoes I reckon, slyly invading via the spud fields of Blighty.

 

[Maggot]

I have and so has Ruby.

What's the advantage of not stabbing?

 

[RubyToogood]

Well I think the ones that exploded were generally ones that I'd done for a long time on a low heat.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Exploding potatoes eh; I can remember many moons ago cooking two huge spuds for me and newharper. I noticed a dull thud at one point but couldn't make out what it could be. A while later, considerably stoned, I was having one of those moments where two realities have diverged; I put two potatoes in the oven but there was only one in there. How we laughed.

 

[London_Calling]

I adopted most of the tips (in this thread) this evening – though no Vivaldi’s as I still had one I’d bought previously. So:

Scored the surfaces with an X
Generally stabbed a bit
Coated in extra virgin
Ground in chunky salt
Stuck something metal right through the length of the beast
Straight into the oven
Gave it 20 mins. longer than I have been doing
Smashed it open with the side of my hand (I did this before anyway, so neer)

. . what a beautiful result. Double the meal it was. Fantastic. Cheers to all.

 

[Nixon]

I rub with salt and a bit of oil,prick,stick em in the oven and wait till they are nice and crispy.I like cream cheese and chives on mine or good old beans and cheese.Depends what I have about really..

If I can be fucked I might halve the potatoes,when they are cooked and might mix nice stuff in,put them back in their skins and then in the oven for another 10 mins or so..but im generally so hungry by then that that doesn't happen