Jacket potatoes rank among the most comforting kitchen staples, offering a crispy golden exterior and fluffy interior when prepared correctly. A well-baked spud impresses with simple toppings and delivers deep satisfaction.
The Ideal Oven Baking Technique
Chef Ian Theasby from Bosh recommends oiling the potato skin for optimal results. Stab the potato several times with a fork, rub olive oil into the skin, and add a pinch of salt for seasoning from the start.
“It’s all about oiling the skin, right? So you get your jacket potato, you stab it a few times with a fork, and then what you do is rub in some olive oil to get it to embed into the skin,” Theasby explains. “And then I tend to also rub in a little bit of salt so you’re sort of seasoning it right from the get-go. And then let the oven do the work.”
Bake at 200°C for about one hour until the outside crisps and the inside fluffs. This method achieves maximum quality.
Speedy Microwave and Oven Combo
For time-pressed cooks, microwave the potato for 10 minutes first, then finish in the oven for crispy skin.
“But if you’re stuck for time, you can also let the microwave do quite a lot of the work. So, you could probably microwave a jacket potato for about 10 minutes before finishing it off in the oven to get that nice crispy skin,” Theasby notes.
Oven vs. Air Fryer Preference
Though air fryers offer convenience, Theasby favors traditional ovens. “I do like cooking with air fryers, but I’m a real fan of the oven. Air fryers are great, right? And I’m sure that if I just went over to the air fryer side then I’d be converted, but I’m just a stickler for the oven.”
Bosh Celebrates 10 Years with New Cookbook
Ian Theasby and Henry Firth, the duo behind Bosh, mark a decade of plant-based cooking with their eighth book, More Plants. Theasby calls it their “best one yet,” featuring 90 recipes ready in 30 minutes or less. These emphasize fiber, vegetables, beans, grains, and bold flavors to boost wellness.
Pickle Bean-Stuffed Jacket Potatoes Recipe
The cookbook includes a standout: pickle bean-stuffed jacket potatoes.
Ingredients
- Four baking potatoes (250g each)
- Olive oil
- Two tablespoons plant-based butter
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the pickle bean topping:
- 200g gherkins
- ¼ red onion
- ½ small cucumber
- 25g dill
- 1 lemon
- 400g can cannellini beans
- 400g can butter beans
- 450g firm tofu
- 30g Bosh nooch nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Whole cornichons, to garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan/Gas 9). Pierce potatoes and microwave at 900W for 20 minutes, turning every five minutes. Coat with olive oil and salt, then bake for 10 minutes until skins crisp and centers fluff.
Finely chop gherkins, red onion, and cucumber. Strip dill, juice lemon, drain and rinse beans. Blend tofu, beans, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and water to a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in most chopped vegetables and dill.
Halve potatoes, loosen flesh, add plant-based butter, spoon on filling, and garnish with remaining vegetables, dill, and cornichons.
