We all think we know how to make the perfect fries, right?
Well, according to This Morning chef Phil Vickery, there is a very simple and clever way to reduce the cooking time of a baked potato.
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During an episode of the daytime show, the chef talked about regularly eating fries for dinner as a kid.
He shared his top tips for ensuring crispy skin and how to reduce cooking time – so you need to listen.
Your hack swears by using teaspoons – yes, you read that correctly.
Phil explained: “You can microwave them and finish them in the oven for a crispy skin.
“Now, the thing to say is also: always, always, always use a sharp knife and poke holes in the potato on the outside. [before you cook it] because they will explode otherwise.
“Sometimes if you put the potatoes in a cooler oven and [the temperature] it gets hotter, it bakes the skin so tightly that it will expand and burst.
“Not all the time, but it happens, so I always [score] they.
“I also add a teaspoon to the potato – not when I cook it in the microwave – but [cooking the potato in] a conventional oven reduces cooking time by at least about 20 minutes.”
Phillip Schofield, the presenter at the time, then asked: “Is it because the spoon gets so hot that the heat travels down the spoon? [handle] and in the center of the potato?”
To this, the food genius replied, “Yes. You can use ready-made potato tips and place them in four and put them in the oven, or you can use a skewer, but it certainly makes a difference.
The chef continued: “I think it will take 15 to 20 minutes in cooking time, so 35 to 40 minutes instead of an hour.”
If you want to try this clever trick, before inserting the handle of a teaspoon into the cooked potato, you can blast the potato in the microwave to further reduce the cooking time.
It’s important to remember: do not add a teaspoon to the potato if you are using the microwave, as this poses a health and safety risk.
So if you want to try cooking your potatoes like this for your next dinner, first microwave the potato on a high plate for three minutes.
You’ve also been making mashed potatoes wrong…
Turns out we’ve also been making mashed potatoes wrong.
Rosie Gill, director of Milk Street Cooking School, took to social media to share her mashed potato recipe – leaving many speechless.
She explained that it’s time to stop boiling potatoes in water – as you’ll need to use milk.
She revealed: “We cook your mashed potatoes in milk, not water! And here’s why.
“Potatoes are like pasta, they release starch into the cooking liquid.
“This turns into liquid gold – allowing us to get lush, silky, creamy mashed potatoes.
“When you throw away the water you cook the potatoes in, you flush all that starch down the drain, so you’re wasting it.
“Milk becomes our cooking liquid – and a substitute for heavy cream.”
Showing off the finished side dish, she added: “We just mash the potatoes directly in the pan – no mixer needed.
“And that’s how we end up with mashed potatoes that are still creamy, but not too heavy.”
Then turn it over and microwave for another three minutes.
Then, transfer the potato to a baking dish, season with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Place a spoon inside the potato to speed up cooking in the oven.
Cooking time will depend on the size of the potato, as a larger potato will take much longer to cook – but it should only take around 20 minutes.
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