Jacket potato party

This is a lo-fi, high returns approach to Saturday night dining, when your motivation is hang-time with your friends, not spending hours in the kitchen.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

It’s also brilliant if you have mates with dietaries - put out a range of toppings, many of which can be made ahead of time, or simply store-bought and let the DIY fun begin.

Ingredients

• 6 large baking potatoes, unpeeled, washed and dried
• olive oil, for drizzling
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Topping suggestions

• whipped butter (see Note)
• fried bacon lardons or thick cut bacon bits
• salmon roe (or caviar if you’re feeling fancy)
• chopped boiled egg
• seaweed salt or any other flavoured salt
• sour cream and chopped chives
• roast broccoli florets
• chopped green herbs (chives/parsley/dill)
• crisp fried shallots

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork to let the steam escape as they cook. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a wire rack and bake for 1 hour or until cooked through and tender.
2. When the potatoes are nearly ready, lay out the toppings on the table, make a cocktail and chat to your friends. Using a small sharp knife, make a cross in the top of each baked potato and squeeze to break up the potato a little. Pop the baked potatoes in a pretty bowl and serve. Easy.

Note

• For whipped butter, place 250 g softened butter in a stand mixer with ¼ cup milk or cream and use the whisk attachment to beat until light and fluffy. Season and flavour with whatever you fancy or leave as is.

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

It’s also brilliant if you have mates with dietaries - put out a range of toppings, many of which can be made ahead of time, or simply store-bought and let the DIY fun begin.