The Comeback Kid: An Inspiring Look at the Jacket Potato
It’s a little bit cooler today, cool enough that I can stomach the idea of turning the oven on for a while. Which is good because I’ve had an itch to make an absolute grandpa of a recipe. It’s been twisting and turning in the back of my mind, whispering to me.
“Make… yourself… a loaded… baked… potato…”
Alright, dammit, I will.
I never thought much about baked potatoes in my younger days. They seemed weird to me. At the hotel, I always made sure the cooks had some ready, in case one of our more senior guests wanted one, and occasionally Liz will order one from Wendy’s. Beyond that, I didn’t really get them.
First off, they mostly came out of the microwave. As a proud young cook, I foolishly eschewed the microwave as a cheater device and uneven cooker, not properly understanding it as I do today. Why call them baked potatoes if you microwave them, though?
Even when they were baked in an oven, they often came out bland, unevenly cooked and sometimes soggy. I just couldn’t understand the appeal. Sure, they were good under enough toppings, but you could do the same to roasted potatoes or fries and they’d be even better.
The English however, have a better understanding of the baked potato. Jacket potatoes, as they’re called across the pond, are treated much better than they are here. They’re not thrown into the oven or microwave still wet from washing, which steams them soggy and flabby. Neither are they oiled up, which ends in the same result. Instead, the potatoes are put in the oven perfectly dry, right on the top rack, no tray.
Rather than the weird, imprecise fork-pricking method we’re inclined to employ over here so that the potatoes don’t explode, a large cross is cut into them, about halfway deep. This not only ensures steam can escape, but lets the heat directly into the interior, resulting in fluffier insides and more even cooking.
The heat is a slightly-lower-than-average 400°F, for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the potato. This longer, slightly lower cooking time also helps to ensure even cooking, fluffy interiors and crisp, crackly skin.
Employing the British method makes for a better baked potato, but as for toppings? We’re going North American all the way. Bacon, grated cheddar, sour cream and green onions. If it were colder still outside, say fall or winter, I’d advocate for topping these babies with some homemade chili, but that’s a bit too extra for late July.
This is a short recipe that cooks for a long time. The actual hands-on work is pretty minimal, though. You can set and almost forget these spuds and they’ll bake happily while you tend to other shit.
Jacket Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium Russet potatoes per person
- 2 slices of bacon
- 4-5 green onions
- 150g old cheddar
- 100mL sour cream
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, as needed
Method:
- Wash the potatoes well under cold water, scrubbing if any dirt is stuck on. Allow the potatoes to dry fully. This is critical, and can be done well in advance of the actual cooking.
- Place a rack as high in your oven as possible. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut a rather deep cross, about ¼ to ½ an inch deep into each potato. Rub some salt into the cuts.
- Once the oven is pre-heated, place the potatoes directly onto the rack. Bake for 2 hours.
- As the potatoes bake, chop the green onions into thin rings, using only the dark and light green parts. Reserve the white parts for another use. Or chuck them out, I don’t care. It’s your life.
- Place the bacon in a cold, heavy-bottomed cast iron pan. Turn the heat on to medium and cook the bacon, flipping as needed until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and once cool, crumble as desired.
- Shred the cheddar through the large holes of a box grater.
- After 2 hours, carefully remove the potatoes from the oven and set them on a cutting board. Using tongs or a knife, push the potatoes gently open from the middle of the cross, exposing more of the interior flesh. Season with salt and pepper, then place the potatoes back into the oven on the top rack for 10 minutes more.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven again, and return them to the cutting board. Open them further, and top each with a pat of butter. Garnish with the cheese, green onions, bacon and sour cream as desired.
That’s all you have to do to get what I can confidently assure you is the very best baked potato you’ll ever have. The skin is crisp and crackly. The insides are fluffy and perfectly evenly cooked, not gummy or mealy. You can add more or less of whatever toppings you fancy. So, get some potatoes and get creating!
As an aside, just what is up with the backwards economy of potatoes? Why is it cheaper to get 10lbs than it is to get 5lbs? Somebody better call the potato board. Seriously though, does anyone know the answer? If you do, leave a comment or send me an e-mail!
