It’s Guy Fawkes night and the papers are full of warming recipes designed to keep out autumn’s nip. I can’t begin to compete with Ramsay, Jamie and James Martin in terms of clever recipes. However, if there is one thing I do know about, it’s baked spuds, the perfect bonfire night food.
I spent a good portion of my years at uni and, even a couple of years after graduating, working at a baked potato shop in Edinburgh. This taught me two things: the first was that I probably wasn’t on the fast track to high-flying success. The second was that the perfect baked tattie should have a crisp, slightly chewy skin and light, fluffy flesh that steams gently when cut open but isn’t in any way wet.
Achieving all this is not rocket science but one or two measures can make all the difference. First off, forget about the microwave. We’re doing this old skool.
The right sort of potato is the foundation block of the best baked spud. It must be a floury variety rather than a waxy one. It’s an unfortunate sentence but, recently, I’ve been noshing British Queens from the Woodland Farm Shop near Girvan. They make fantastic bakers. If you aren’t sure which tatties are floury and which aren’t then the British Potato Council website will be your friend.
The next step is to pre-heat your oven. About 200/220 C is pretty good. This isn’t slow cooking; to get the skins crisp you need a hard heat.
While waiting for the oven to hit the right temperature, take a bunch of metal skewers and thread a couple of potatoes on each one. This has two effects. By pricking the skin, you avoid the potatoes bursting as they swell in the oven. Just as importantly, the skewers conduct heat into the centre of the potato which helps them cook more quickly and more evenly.
Some people like to put their spuds on a tray over a layer of salt to help draw out the moisture. I prefer to put them directly on to the racks so the heat can circulate more easily. If you have the right variety of potato then the salt is superfluous anyway.
Once the oven is hot, bung in the skewered spuds and go watch the fireworks/burn something/drink gin. The cooking time will depend on how efficient your oven is, the spuds used and the amount of tatties you are trying to cook in any one batch. Check them after fifty minutes and if they aren’t quite done then try them again after a further fifteen minutes. Don’t check them every five minutes or they will never cook.
That’s it. Enjoy.