A perfect baked potato is one of those simple but wonderful pleasures in life. Have you always wondered how to perfect a crispy outside, while keeping the centre soft and fluffy? Read on, we’ll show you how.

Shopping

When buying potatoes, look out for firm, dry, and well-formed ones, with no bruises, cuts, cracks or sprouting eyes. Avoid potatoes with green patches, indicating the presence of a toxin that develops when potatoes are exposed to light.

Storing

Store in a dark, dry place. It is not necessary to keep potatoes in the fridge. If they start to sprout eyes or to turn green, dispose of them as they may be poisonous.

Cooking

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Brush the potatoes with a scrubbing brush under cold, running water. Poke each potato a couple of times with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife – this ensures that the potatoes don’t explode in the oven.

The simple method: Place the potatoes straight on to the oven rack and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The potatoes are cooked when the inside is soft and fluffy and the skin is crisp and blistered.

The ‘glammed-up’ method: Rub the potatoes with olive oil and roll in coarse salt, or alternatively nestle the potatoes into a thickish layer of fine salt on a baking tray. Pop into the oven and bake until a knife pierces all the way through easily. The salt helps draw out moisture/steam the flesh resulting in a fluffy texture inside.

Tip: to speed up cooking time, cook the pierced potatoes in the microwave for 5-7 minutes – this gets heat into the centre. It should halve the time in the oven and still yield a crisp skin.

Perfect Baked Potato Fillings – The Classics

Butter + salt + pepper
Sour cream + chopped chives
Fried bacon bits + grated cheese

Travelling Tastebuds

Greek – Yoghurt + crumbled feta + chopped tomato + chopped cucumber + olives + red onions + season to taste.

Mexican – Butter + grated cheese + corn + sliced spring onions + fresh coriander + chopped chilli + season to taste.

South African – Cream cheese + tomato smoor + biltong.

Fancy Shmancy

Sumac Butter

Butter + sumac + lemon zest + thyme + garlic

250g salted butter, softened
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sumac
10 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and combine thoroughly with a spatula. Shape into a rough log shape on a piece of wax paper. Roll up and twist the ends of the paper, forming the log as you go. Pop into the fridge overnight, or until solid. Slice as needed.

Olive Butter

Butter + chopped black olives + chopped red chilli + basil or oregano

250g salted butter, softened
1 red chilli, finely chopped
small handful of basil or oregano leaves, finely chopped
½ C (125 ml) black olives, pitted and finely chopped

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and combine thoroughly with a spatula. Shape into a rough log shape on a piece of wax paper. Roll up and twist the ends of the paper, forming the log as you go. Pop into the fridge overnight, or until solid. Slice as needed.

Smoky Tomato Butter

Butter + chopped sundried tomato + smoked paprika +chopped parsley

250 g salted butter, softened
1 C sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika
small handful parsley, chopped

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and combine thoroughly with a spatula. Shape into a rough log shape on a piece of wax paper. Roll up and twist the ends of the paper, forming the log as you go. Pop into the fridge overnight, or until solid. Slice as needed.

Go Big or Go Home

Want to knock it out of the park? Try this recipe for the Ultimate Baked Potatoes with Creamed Mushrooms Black Garlic & Crispy Bacon

Click here for other tasty potato recipe inspiration.