Baked potatoes are the perfect comfort food for those nights when you do not feel like cooking, but making them really tasty involves more than just tossing them in the oven. It is worth taking an extra five minutes to prepare them properly, as otherwise you can end up with a shrivelled or soggy potato that has no flavour when you bite into it.

Sylvia Fountaine, a professional chef and founder of Feasting at Home, has shared that it is really easy to ensure your baked potato is perfect and bursting with flavour. All you need is salt. She said, “Use sea salt or kosher salt, and be generous. Salt goes a long way in enhancing the natural flavour of the potato skins.”

It may seem simple, but potatoes contain a lot of water, and if this water is not released while cooking, your baked potato will be starchy, limp, and bland.

Salt is absorbent and will naturally draw out moisture, helping the skin become much crispier and also creating a crust that is absolutely delicious to eat.

It even helps make the baked potato even more flavourful, enhancing the earthy, sweet flavour that potatoes already have.

Salt creates a tastier and more satisfying baked potato, so you get a mouthwatering crackly golden skin that is much more enjoyable to eat.

How to make baked potatoes taste even better

You will need:

• Medium russet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Sea or kosher salt

Instructions

To begin, preheat the oven to 220C and place one oven rack directly into the middle. Wash, and scrub the potatoes, then pat them dry with a paper towel.

Lightly coat each potato with olive oil and sprinkle a generous amount of salt on each one.

Do not wrap them in tin foil, as this will cause the baked potato to create more steam and become soggy. Instead, roast them so you get a crispy skin.

Prick the potatoes three times each with a fork, as it helps steam and moisture escape from the potatoes so they do not explode in the oven.

Then, simply place the potatoes in a baking tray and place in the middle of the oven. Leave them to cook for roughly 50 to 60 minutes.

Once ready, immediately cut open the potatoes with a knife as soon as they come out of the oven to release any leftover steam.

Sylvia said: “This ensures potatoes that are fluffy and not gummy.”

Use a kitchen towel to squeeze the potato to reveal more of the potato, and then use a fork to fluff up the insides even more.

Add any toppings you like, and your beautifully cooked and even tastier baked potato will be ready to eat.