Hi guys, I’m back! I’ve been away for a little while, maybe a month or so. Firstly, I was on vacation back visiting family and friends in the UK during the recent spell of really cold and snowy weather. And secondly, the security certificate on this website is set to auto-renew every three months, and every single time it renews, it locks me out for around a week or so!
Anyhow, you will have to put up with me for another few months until I get locked out again. Next time I won’t be such a tight arse and I’ll actually pay for a security certificate so you’ll have the pleasure of my company all year round!
It’s actually been nice to have a break from writing recipes and dare I say it….. cooking. Whenever we go on vacation, to some degree I will always end up doing some kind of cooking, but to have a whole week off was really nice. But now I’m back and I spent a few hours yesterday writing up a few of the recipes that I’d cooked up recently. I now have quite a backlog and I’m feeling quite motivated to get some of them up here for you to enjoy.
The first recipe that I’m coming back at you with is a really simple one. It’s really retro too. Definitely a throw back to the 80’s! I think it’s really funny how food trends work. How a recipe can be in fashion one day and not the next. The way I look at it, if it tastes good then why do you suddenly have to forget about it for 20 years until there is a “revival”.
My Mum’s the best at making these, although I think that this recipe may finally be as good as hers. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the twice baked jacket potato.
The key here is making a good baked potato. It may sound really simple, but if you don’t get it quite right then the result will not be as good as it could be. If you can get them then I would definitely recommend buying a few russet potatoes as they are by far the best for baking. Although most supermarkets and green grocers will stock a “white potato” which is an all-purpose potato which will work just fine.
The best way to bake a potato is the low and slow method. You need to give yourself plenty of time as to get the crispy skins that you’re after will take a while. And if you’re the kind of person who will microwave a baked potato then you have to abandon that method and actually use an oven as it will not work with a microwaved potato.
I like to make these when I’m having a barbecue. They work really well, you can make them beforehand and just warm them up in the oven, and I’m yet to find a single person who doesn’t like them!
Ingredients
- 1 baking potato per person
- 20 ml of milk per potato
- 15g butter per potato
- 25g grated cheddar per potato
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika to serve ( I told you it was retro! )
- The first thing that you need to do here is make sure that the potatoes are clean. Pop them in the sink and give them a scrub under running water and leave them on the draining board to dry.
- Whilst they are drying, preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Prick the potatoes all over with a knife and then place directly onto the middle oven shelf for 45 minutes. When the time is up, even if you are using a fan oven, turn the potatoes over and give them another 45 minutes. You are looking for a nice crispy, baked skin.
- Remove the potatoes and leave them to cool enough so that you can then handle them. Slice them in half and scoop out all of the flesh into a bowl and place the skins onto a lined baking sheet.
- Add the required amount of butter and milk depending on how many potatoes you are using.
- The key now is to get the creamiest mash that you can. Mash the potatoes with a masher, and when you think they are ready, mash a bit more.
- Thoroughly mix in the cheddar and add some seasoning then divide the mixture between all of the potato skins.
- Top with more grated cheddar and sprinkle over the paprika. If you are making them for later, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. Make sure they return back to room temperature before baking. If not, place directly into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes.
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