Jacket potatoes, a beloved classic in British cuisine known for their versatility in toppings, rely heavily on achieving a crispy skin for that perfect texture. While traditional oven-baking can take hours to achieve the desired crunch, a quicker alternative has emerged through the use of an air fryer.
Anthea Malialis, also known as ‘superhomecook’ on Instagram, recently shared her expert technique for preparing flawless jacket potatoes using an air fryer. Her method focuses on a simple combination of salt, oil, and tin foil rather than relying on specific equipment models.
The key to achieving the ideal crispy skin, as explained by Anthea, lies in salting the potatoes before air frying to extract moisture, resulting in a dry, fluffy interior encased in a crunchy coating. She recommends using floury, starchy potato varieties like Maris Piper or King Edwards for the best results.
Before cooking, it’s essential to thoroughly rinse the baking potatoes and pierce them with a fork. Anthea emphasizes the importance of brushing the potatoes with olive oil, seasoning generously with sea salt to enhance the crispy texture.
To cook the potatoes in an air fryer, preheat it to 170°C. Encase the prepared potatoes in foil before placing them in the fryer basket to simplify cleaning and prevent the interior from drying out excessively.
Anthea suggests cooking the potatoes at 170°C for 40 to 45 minutes, then finishing off by spraying with oil, adding a pinch of salt, and cooking for an additional 15 minutes at 205°C to achieve a crispy skin. Adjustments can be made for air fryers that don’t reach 205°C by extending the cooking time slightly.
This technique has garnered praise from Anthea’s Instagram followers, who have found the method simple yet effective in producing delicious jacket potatoes. The crispy exterior and fluffy interior have left many satisfied, with some describing it as their favorite go-to potato dish.