The Ingredients

A Potato

(Choose a large potato – but remember, the bigger the spud, the longer it takes to cook. If cooking for many people try and get an even spread on sizes.)

Wash it and prick the spud several times with a fork.

The Methods

Traditional way
Put the spud in the oven (200C gas 6) for 1-1 1/2 hours according to size. The skin should be crisp and the inside soft and fluffy. If you want a softer skin simple do the above but loosely wrap in tin foil.

Quicker Traditional way
Put the potato into a saucepan, cover with hot water and bring to the boil and cook for 5-10 minutes. Drain carefully and put spud in the oven (200C gas 6) for 30-60 minutes.

The Microwave way
Microwave for about 5 minutes, flip it over, and microwave it for about 5 more minutes. Let the potato cool for just a few minutes, until it’s safe to handle. Cut the potato lengthwise so that it opens and forms a natural bowl.

Remember, not all microwaves cook at exactly the same power. If you’ve found in the past that your microwave is more or less powerful than other microwaves, you may want to adjust the recipe by a few minutes either way.

The Air Fryer way
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 200C and cook for 40-50 mins, or until a sharp knife goes through the potatoes easily. Check the potatoes after 20 mins – if they seem to be browning too quickly on one side, turn them over using tongs, then check again after another 20 mins to ensure they’re cooked through. When ready, the skin should be crisp and the inside tender and fluffy. Split and serve immediately with the toppings of your choice.

Don’t forget when choosing a method, an oven is better when cooking for multiple people 😉.

A few quick n simple filling to try that will transform a jacket potato.
Cheese
Cheese and Branston
Cheese and baked beans
Cheese and chopped-fried bacon
Cheese and coleslaw