Jacket Potato

For each potato you will need:

Ingredients

1 potato (225-275g), such as Maris Piper, Desirée or King Edward
4 tsp oil, groundnut, olive, rapeseed
10-15g rock or sea salt, lightly crushed

Method

1. If necessary, wash the potatoes and dry them very thoroughly with a cloth, then leave them aside to dry as much as possible. If you're using ready-washed potatoes you need not do this, as the high heat will purify them.

2. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/375°F/190°C.

3. Prick the skins a few times with a fork, then rub 2 tsp of your chosen oil all over the skin. Mix the other 2 tsp with the salt to create a paste. Roll the potato in the salt paste. This will draw out the moisture from the skin and, together with the oil, provide more crunchiness.

4. Now place the potato directly onto the centre shelf of the oven (with no tray) and bake for at least 2 hours, or until the skins are really crisp. To avoid making a mess, put a baking tray on the shelf below to catch the salt that falls from the potato.

5. When you are ready to serve, slit each potato in half lengthways and top with butter and seasoning. Serve immediately as after you remove jacket potatoes from the oven they lose their crispness very quickly.

(adapted from a recipe by Delia Smith)