Baked potatoes will have crispier skin if you add simple ingredient chef adores

Baked potatoes are a reliable go-to on days when a full cooking session simply isn’t on the cards, particularly during warmer weather. There’s always room to discover new techniques for preparing this humble vegetable to achieve that perfectly crispy, flavoursome finish. Having previously experimented with microwaving a jacket potato and following a chef’s air-fryer recipe — both of which yielded impressive results — it was time to try something different.

This time, the trusty oven remained the cooking method of choice, but with the addition of one key ingredient favoured by Chef Sylvia Fountaine, culinary expert and founder of Feasting at Home. Her recipe places great emphasis on salt, though not your ordinary table salt.

Either sea salt or kosher salt is recommended. Opting for sea salt proved to be a revelation, producing a baked potato that emerged from the oven noticeably tastier and crispier than usual.

The reasoning behind using salt is rather clever — it is naturally absorbent, drawing out excess moisture from the skin and allowing it to crisp up beautifully, forming a delicious crust without leaving the potato tough or dry.

Alongside the salt, a splash of oil is all that’s required. Extra-virgin olive oil is particularly well-suited, lending a superior depth of flavour.

The most challenging aspect of this method is simply the waiting, though the results are undeniably worth it. The salt crust dramatically intensifies the potato’s natural flavour.

How to make baked potatoes tastier and crispier

Pierce the potato with a fork at least three times to let steam escape during cooking, preventing it from bursting in the oven’s heat. I then drizzled extra virgin olive oil generously over the potato, ensuring full coverage before giving it a thorough rub with sea salt.

While my usual approach involves wrapping a potato in tin foil before placing it in the oven, the chef strongly advised against this, recommending instead that I place it on a baking tray in the middle of the oven.

The chef noted that wrapping the potato in foil traps steam, resulting in a disappointingly soggy finish. I followed the advice and left the potato in the oven for an hour; however, I discovered it required an additional 15 minutes.

To ensure my baked potatoes achieved a “fluffy, not gummy” interior, I immediately made an incision with a knife to release the residual steam.

Once they turn a gorgeous golden colour on top, switch off the oven but leave the potatoes inside for a further five minutes — this will give the skin an irresistibly crispy finish.

When you finally remove your tray from the oven, you’ll be rewarded with the crispiest, most mouth-watering baked potatoes you’ve ever produced.

For the final flourish, I gave the piping hot potato a gentle squeeze using a tea towel, loosened the inside with a fork and piled on a generous knob of butter. While I kept mine relatively simple, there is a wealth of options available to liven up a baked potato.

Mary Berry herself has three “posh fillings” that she particularly loves.