Jacket Potato

The jacket potato is the unpretentious hero of British lunchtime: crisp potato baked in its skin, fluffed with a fork and generously loaded.

1. Wash the large potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry – they bake in their skins, so it is important they are clean.

2. Prick them with a fork in 6-8 places, so the steam can escape while baking and they do not burst.

3. Rub them with the olive oil and plenty of salt – this is what makes their skin really crisp.

4. On a rack, at 200 °C, bake them for 60-70 minutes, until the skin hardens and the inside is easily pierced with a fork.

5. Cut a cross in their tops, then gently squeeze from both sides, so the potato "opens up".

6. Fluff the inside with a fork, put a piece of butter on, sprinkle over grated cheddar, add a spoon of sour cream, pepper it, and finish with the sliced spring onion.

Tip: Do NOT wrap it in foil, or it steams and its skin will not be crisp – it is a filling dish even on its own.