Ideas for perfect jacket potatoes please!

[GregoryPeck]

Am meeting DP off the train at 12, he has been in London for a few days. I want to make him a nice lunch and thought a warming jacket would be perfect but have just realised I always seem to burn jacket potatoes or they end up being hard in the middle.

So how do you cook your jacket potatoes to make them yummy yum yum?

Also any good (gluten free) filling ideas would be great.

Cheers IA

[BooBooGlass]

About 4 minutes in the microwave per potato, and then into the oven for half an hour or so. God I'm hungry now.
I'd go for chilli filling today, but only because I made it last night and have leftovers.

[GregoryPeck]

Oh, should say we don't have a microwave!

[ICouldHaveWrittenThis]

damn you, I really want a jacket spud for lunch now.

Yes, a few mins in the microwave, then into the oven. If you want crispy skin then rub a little oil on the skin and then some salt, and wrap in foil.

[oricella]

You need to read this article - all you ever needed to know about jacket potatoes!

[AuraofDora]

scrub them, dry them, smear a bit of olive oil and then salt on the skins, wrap in kitchen roll, and bake in microwave til cookedm (depends on size, squeeze gently you can test them)
then crisp up skin in the oven for 10 minutes

like it with garlic butter and two or more types of cheese..big salad too!

double delicious if i say it myself

gluten free, er, sorry i dont know

[AuraofDora]

much nicer, use oven, over an hour easily
smother in lurpak hmmmm

[AitchTwoOh]

hehehe, no micro, ladies.

i just wash em, slather in salt and put in oven at 180 for an hour and a half. oil if i can be bothered. the thing is to get a floury potato (king edward) and to cut it open immediately it's out of the oven.

[GregoryPeck]

Ooh, I have King Edwards - DP insisted on me buying them for his hotpot as he said only King Edwards would do

Suppose I should shove em in now then really- train arrives at 12 and apparently is on time.

[CuppaTeaJanice]

You need to make sure the butter is well mashed into the potato before you even think about adding the filling.

My favourite fillings are cottage cheese & pineapple, or tinned curry mixed with creme fraiche (sounds disgusting but tastes yummy!)

[FreeButtonBee]

Defo nigel's approach in the above article. It has changed my baked potato world.

Micro spuds are rank. Avoid.

[GregoryPeck]

Have preheated oven to 220 a la Nigel, and will put the potatoes in just after 11, so they should be ready as we come back.

Left over spag bol and cheese?

[AitchTwoOh]

yes but be careful to check that the oven is not a fan, if so 220 might be too hot?

[AitchTwoOh]

have read article now, i see nige is distinctly pro-heat. still be careful re fan.

[GregoryPeck]

oh it is a fan! Maybe too late now? I am going to pick dp up in a minute and the potatoes dont look burnt, will turn down to 180 for now

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

Haven't read article but my approach is basedon nige's iirc.

HOT oven, cut open asap.

I like a bulb of garlic, wrapped in foil in t'oven too. It won't takenearly as long as the spuds...squeeze out the soft sticky garlic goodness in to the spud flesh. Lots of salt and pepper.

Bet you still have time to bung some garlic in!

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

Spud + chernobyl box =

[GregoryPeck]

Bloody train delayed, have had to come home and dp wont be getting picked up till 1. have switched off oven and will give final blast for five mins before serving.

grr.

[tb]

Stick them on a big metal skewer, that should help conduct the heat to the middle. That way, you shouldn't get any crunchy bits in the centre of the potato when the outside is cooked.

I hate that, too.

[GregoryPeck]

They were lovely despite being switched off for an hour then on high heat again for ten mins. Maybe a bit crunchy on outside.

Am hormonal- DP rang to say the train was delayed and I sobbed 'BUT I MADE YOU SOME LUNCH' in a pathetic fashion.