How to make a good jacket potato

Choose a floury variety sold for baking, such as Maris Piper or King Edward. Potatoes of a similar size finish together; a medium baking potato of about 250–300 g usually takes 60–75 minutes, while a larger one may need up to 90 minutes.

Prepare the skin

Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Scrub away any soil, checking around the eyes, then prick the potato several times with a fork. While the clean skin is still damp, rub it lightly with salt. The damp surface holds the seasoning and helps the skin become savoury and crisp.

Do not wrap the potato in foil. Foil traps steam and softens the skin.

Oven method

Put the potato directly on the oven shelf with a tray underneath to catch any drips. Bake for 60–75 minutes for a medium potato, turning once. Test the centre rather than relying only on time: the skin should be crisp, the potato should give when pressed carefully with an oven glove, and a skewer or small knife should slide into the centre with almost no resistance.

Quicker microwave and oven method

For a shortcut, put the scrubbed, pricked potato on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high until the centre is beginning to soften, turning halfway; start with 8–10 minutes for two medium potatoes and follow the appliance manufacturer’s guidance. Lightly salt the damp skin, then transfer the potatoes to the hot oven for about 20 minutes, until the centre is completely tender and the skin is crisp. This shortcut is useful, but the full oven method gives the driest, crispest skin.

Open promptly and fluff

Put the cooked potato on a stable, heatproof surface. Cover it with a clean folded tea towel to protect your hand. With the edge of your hand, give the potato one quick, controlled chop: use only enough force to crack the skin, rather than crushing the potato. Keep your hands and face clear as you open it immediately and let the hot steam escape. Fluff the centre with a fork and add the filling straight away.

Make ahead

Jacket potatoes are best served straight from the oven because holding them softens the skin. If you cook them ahead, cool them and put them in the fridge within 2 hours. Use within 48 hours and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Do not leave a cooked potato in a switched-off oven to cool slowly.

For general leftovers advice, see the Food Standards Agency guidance on cooking and reheating food. The floury-potato, no-foil and prompt-opening method is adapted in original wording from Nigel Slater’s baked potato guidance in The Guardian.

Recipes using this guide

• Leftover Chicken Curry Jacket Potatoes