I used to think that there was no better way to enjoy a Potato than the way my paternal Grandma made them: Steaming, light and fluffy on the inside, and crispy as a Potato Chip on the outside, with a big pat of Butter melting slowly in a lengthwise cut down the middle. But then something happened…
The perfect Baked Potato: A lovely, simple English Jacket Potato
with a snowy white fluffy interior and a crispy outer Skin.
What happened was, Grandma passed away without ever passing on her technique for baking Potatoes to any of her daughters or daughters-in-law. She was a good cook who learned the traditional British way of doing things in the kitchen from her English mother, who had been born in the Olde Country, and she was very strict about measuring and following the rules of the kitchen as she knew them. This meant that her special holiday dinners always turned out exactly the same every year, and we all loved how we could count on her Turkey and Stuffing smelling and tasting exactly the way we knew and loved them, her signature Gingered Carrots having the perfect balance between sweet and zippy, and her home made Cranberry Sauce distinguishing itself from the canned stuff by its trademark pinch of Nutmeg. But most of all, we looked forward to her perfect Baked Potatoes – something we never got at home, probably because our moms were stuck in the boiled-or-mashed habit they learned in high school Domestic Science.
Times change, and we change with the times
But times change, and Grandmas pass on, and eventually (sometime in the 70s, I think) our dads caught the grilling bug. And, with that evolutionary step in western cuisine, we also started getting Baked Potatoes again. Alas, they were just not quite the same as Grandma’s. But we cut our dads lots of slack for their occasionally less-than-successful adventures over the charcoal, and eventually came to accept their soft-skinned, chunky-fleshed Baked Spuds as the new standard.
Why, oh why did we settle?
I think it must have been because Grandma took her simple fool-proof rules for perfect Baked Potatoes for granted and never shared them, much less wrote them down anywhere. A lot of great family recipes have been lost that way through the ages. But I’ve been lucky enough to find – by sheer chance – a Web post by a gal whose ancient and venerable UK aunty did agree to share her technique for what the Brits call Jacket Potatoes.
I used to wash my spuds thoroughly, then pierce them with a fork all over to let the inevitable steam, escape. After brushing them with Oil (to help the Skins crisp-up) and giving them a good sprinkle of Salt and Pepper, I baked them for an hour to an hour and a half at 450 F in the middle of the oven on a Cookie sheet or sheet pan. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Here’s what they do in the UK:
Pre-heat oven to 400 F. We want to bake them longer but lower to achieve the desired taste and texture – and not burn them.
Wash the Spuds but be sure to dry them well before Baking. Otherwise, the Skins are likely to some out soggy.
Rather than poking with a fork, make a knife cut lengthwise down one side of each Spud about 1/4 to 1/2 in. / 1 to 2 cm deep.
Do NOT pre-season Potatoes or rub with oil before baking. Again, there’s a risk your Spud Skins won’t crisp up properly.
Do NOT wrap the Potatoes in foil. Again, too much trapped steam = soggy skins.
Place the Potatoes on the top rack near the top of the oven (do NOT Broil!) where the heat is highest. Put ’em right on the rack, not on a pan of any kind.
Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours.
When Skins look crinkly and feel crispy, deepen the long cuts by another inch or more to release more residual steam and bake for another 10 minutes at the same temp and rack position.
Serve immediately with lots of Butter, Salt and Pepper.
My hints:
Garlic Butter is really good. Herbs and Spices of your choice will also add elegance to your Jacket Potatoes.
Make your Classic English Jacket Potatoes main dishes by stuffing them with Chili or Curry or whatever strikes your fancy.
Enjoy them year round: Grill exactly as oven instructions say by place them on the upper shelf of the grill, in the hottest part of the cooking compartment.
I’ll never bake a Potato any other way again…
… And, once you’ve tried ‘English Jacket Potatoes’, neither will you!
~ Maggie J.