The Best and Most Efficient Ways to Bake a Potato.
Low ingredient cost, minimum effort and a heartwarming result make baked spuds an absolute winner. But baking a solitary spud in a hot oven no longer seems very efficient. What should we do?
For years I’ve followed the method outlined in Nigel Slater’s awesome cookery book Real Food. It introduced me to the idea that you don’t have to cover your potato in oil to get a crispy skin.
So I generally proceed as follows:
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F)
Give the potato a good rinse under a cold tap.
Prick 4 times with a fork.
While still damp, sprinkle with fine sea salt.
Put it in the oven — preferably on a wire rack.
Bake for at least 45 minutes but up to 90 minutes depending on a) the size of the spud, b) how long you can wait and c) how crispy you like the skin.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Nigel Slater advocates a karate chop at this stage but I prefer to cut them open more surgically by slicing open the top with a sharp knife and giving them a squeeze. if you don’t have a knife then I guess a karate chop will have to do.
What type of potato to use?
The type of potato you use will have a significant impact on the end result — although all will be edible! I really like to use a Russet as it is not only high in starch which produces a fluffy inside but the skins also seem to be well-suited to crisping up.
Brining Your Spuds?
Not as painful as it sounds this is another step advocated in America’s Test Kitchen. Effectively bathing your potatoes in salty water before baking, it serves the same purpose as the rinsing and salting in my process but creates a more liberal and even distribution of salt and another bowl to wash up.
Can you use oil?
You can definitely rub your potato in oil if you want but please don’t use vegetable oils — only extra virgin olive oil. America’s Test Kitchen advocates brushing the potato in oil once it’s cooked and then returning it to the oven for a little more heat. I tried this but it didn’t achieve much more than giving my potato a rather pleasant hue (see photo) — the skin was already super-crispy.
How do you know when it’s ready?
I like to probe my potatoes and am looking for a temperature above 95°C (210°F). A 250g spud can achieve this in about 50 minutes. If you don’t have a probe then gently poke a pointed knife or skewer into the potato — the flesh should put up minimal resistance.
It is best to err on the side of caution as without serious neglect, you are unlikely to overcook a baked potato. The worst that will happen is the skin will get even crispier — in my eyes this is a good thing so I leave mine in the oven for well over an hour.
Don’t hang about!
Once it’s cooked you need to slice open and eat your potato as soon as possible. If you don’t, the skin will quickly go soft as the moisture inside tries to escape. The flesh with also lose its fluffiness. Nightmare.
What about the Microwave?
With our current focus on energy prices and the environment, an hour in a roasting hot oven does seem like a rather lavish way to cook a solitary potato. Microwaves actually cost a fraction of the price to run and your dinner will be ready in double quick time!
Whereas an electric oven can cost up to £1.00 per hour to run, a microwave may cost less than 2p for 5 minutes.
How do we go about microwaving a “baked” potato?
Before you start, accept the fact that the end product will not be the same as a potato baked in a hot oven.
If it makes you feel better you can rub some Extra Virgin Olive Oil onto the potato but when I tried this it actually made the skin soggier.
Prick the potato a few times with a fork. DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP.
Place the potato in the microwave on a suitable dish and heat on full power for 3–5 minutes depending on the size of your potato.
Turn with a pair of tongs and microwave for another 3–5 minutes.
Check it is cooked (see above), slice open, add toppings and devour what is a less crispy but still very satisfying potato.
Be grateful that you haven’t got to wait another 40 minutes for your dinner and smug in the knowledge that you have done a little bit for the planet too.
