Baked potatoes can be made tastier and crispier by adding one simple ingredient to the usual olive oil coating: salt. Salt draws moisture from the skin during baking, producing a crust that audibly snaps when sliced, according to a test by lifestyle reporter Angela Patrone.
The salt trick for crackling skin
Many people coat baked potatoes in oil and wrap them in foil, but this can result in a mushy skin because the foil locks in moisture. Instead, the reporter recommends ditching the foil and coating the potato in olive oil and salt. The coarse flakes draw moisture from the skin during baking, creating a crust that snaps when sliced.
Salt also prevents steam from softening the potato, ensuring the olive oil works effectively and delivering a considerably crispier skin. While table salt will suffice, sea salt is the recommended option because table salt has a finer texture and produces a less impressive crust.
Rosemary sea salt elevates flavour
Ordinary sea salt works perfectly well, though rosemary sea salt — readily available at M&S — takes the flavour of baked potatoes to an entirely new level, according to the reporter. It also works well with roast potatoes.
The reporter's method involves coating the potato in oil and rosemary sea salt before microwaving it for eight minutes, then baking it in the oven for 40 minutes. The potato comes out of the oven extremely crispy.
Step-by-step method
The ingredients are one potato, olive oil, M&S rosemary sea salt, and toppings such as tuna mayo, butter, cheese, or baked beans. To start, preheat the oven to 200°C Fan, wash the potato under cold running water, and dry it with paper towels.
Pierce the skin all over with a fork to allow steam to escape. Generously drizzle the olive oil over the potato and coat it in the rosemary salt, ensuring every part of the skin is covered. Before placing the potato in the oven, microwave it for six to 10 minutes; eight minutes proved ideal in the test. When ready, the skin should just be beginning to wrinkle.
Transfer the potato to a baking tray using tongs and an oven mitt, as both the potato and plate will be extremely hot. The potato required 40 minutes in the oven, and should be tender enough for a knife to slide through the skin with ease. Leaving it in the oven for a further five minutes helps the skin crisp up even more.
Once cooked, the reporter slices open the top, squeezes the sides to open it up, fluffs the interior with a fork, and piles on toppings such as tuna mayo, baked beans and cheese, chilli con carne, sour cream, or butter.
