This recipe will show you how to bake a potato in an air fryer to achieve a deliciously crispy skin and a fluffy centre.
Air-fried foods, like jacket potatoes, are taking the world by storm due to the many benefits it can bring, from being energy efficient to speeding up the cooking by 40 minutes! In contrast, baking a jacket potato in the oven at 200C will take roughly 1 hour – 1 hour 20 minutes – that’s a pretty long time when you can have a perfectly baked potato in minutes. Plus, it’s a easy to make, you simply put the potato in the air fryer basket and bake!
You can use two methods to make a showstopping jacket potato in the air fryer:
Microwave them first, and then finish off the baking process in the air fryer.
Air frying them for the full length of time.
Our recipe follows the second method, where we will be air frying the jacket potato for the whole duration. This is the easier method to follow as you do not need any further equipment!
If you are wanting to microwave the potatoes first, we recommend cooking on high for 8 minutes, and then air frying for a further 8 minutes. This method will is quicker than our method, as you are speeding up the cooking process with heating the jacket potato in the microwave first, softening the outer, hard skin.
When choosing what type of jacket potato to bake with, we recommend medium to large varieties that have soft, fluffy centres. Specific types of potatoes you need to look for are Maris Piper or King Edwards as these are considered the best for baking. If you are based in America, we recommend looking for Russet Potatoes, which are also known as Idaho potatoes.
How to cook jacket potatoes in an air dryer?
Start by washing the potatoes to remove any dirt and impurities. Then, pat dry with kitchen paper or a towel.
Begin pricking the potatoes with a fork. We recommend pricking about 4 times around each potato.
Transfer the potatoes to a plate or bowl, rubbing with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes. Set aside.
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or cooking oil to create a non-stick layer so that the potatoes will not stick together.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to 200c and cook for 40 minutes until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middles. We rotated the potatoes after 20 minutes to have an even bake on each side. The baked potatoes should be done when a sharp knifes can go through them easily.
When baked, the skin on the jacket potatoes should be perfectly crisp and the inside tender and fluffy as you cut through the centre.
What to have with jacket potatoes?
Toppings and fillings:
We chose to fill our jacket potato with a classic tuna mayonnaise. The combination of tuna, creamy mayonnaise with a handful of spring onion and chives gives this lunchtime favourite plenty of flavour and is easy to make.
Here is how to make tuna mayonnaise:
Drain the tuna and add to a bowl.
Mix with the mayonnaise, a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes, cracked black pepper, chopped chives and spring onions.
Open the jacket potatoes and melt some butter on first.
Spoon in the tuna mayonnaise, and top with grated cheddar. Sprinkle with a final few chives.
Other toppings can include:
Baked beans. Either home-made or branded like Heinz, this is the ultimate comfort food dish and makes a great healthy option for your supper.
Chilli / Chilli con carne. Use up your leftovers by filling your jacket potatoes with chilli. Perfect when you are short on time and want to feed a family.
Cheese. Simple but much-loved. There are many types of cheese that you can use, but cheddar is the most common due to the irresistible creaminess is gives out when it melts on top of a steaming baked potato.
What to serve with jacket potatoes:
Salad. A refreshing caprese salad is the perfect pairing for a jacket potato. The sweet heirloom tomatoes mixed with creamy buffalo mozzarella compliments the fluffy centre of the baked potato, creating a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Broccoli. Roasted tender stem broccoli provides nutrients and is infused with sweet, earthy goodness which matches the same flavour profile of the jacket potato. Laid on a bed of creamy feta, you’ll be going in for seconds!
Steak. It’s a classic combination that you see in most restaurants! A juicy ribeye steak with a jacket potato on the side is a match-made-in-haven as the tender meat and juices are soaked up nicely with the baked potato, holding flavour as you savour every bite.
Can you cook frozen jacket potatoes in an air fryer?
The simple answer is yes!
You can certainly cook frozen jacket potatoes in the air fryer. We used McCain Ready Baked Jacket Potatoes, which are already pre-oven baked and are super convenient if you are struggling for time and want a tasty, fuss-free meal!
As the jacket potatoes are already pre-oven baked, simply put them in the air fryer at 180C for around 20 minutes. Depending on the size of the potato, cooking time may vary slightly so keep having intervals between baking to see if they are baking evenly.
Start by shredding the Brussel sprouts, making sure to remove any tough white parts.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs with the milk, plain flour, baking powder and nigella seeds. Then season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Finally stir in the shredded sprouts and ½ the lemon zest.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan with some oil. Then ladle in the pancake mixture and fry them off individually, for a few minutes on each side until slightly risen and golden brown. Keep them warm in a low temperature oven while you cook the rest – the mixture should make 4- 6 pancakes, depending on their size.
Mix the crème fraiche with the horseradish and remaining lemon zest. Season well with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Serve alongside the pancakes and some smoked salmon, topped with dill sprigs, lemon wedges and black pepper.
Ever heard of beet curing? Usually we would cure fish with salt to help preserve the flavours and succulence, however we have used beetroot in the curing process to give the salmon a magnificent maroon colour to the meat. This also gives the salmon tones of sweetness and earthiness which can be enjoyed by family and friends during the festive period.
We’ve used Le Cresuet’s Stoneware Baking Dish (32cm) to place all the ingredients in together as the length and depth of the baking dish allows the beetroot to cure the entire salmon effectively, preserving the succulent, earthy flavour for the fish.
In a food processor blitz together the beetroot, orange zest, lemon zest and juniper berries. Pulse until it resembles a smooth paste. Tip into a large bowl and then mix with the dill, Maldon Salt, horseradish sauce, and golden caster sugar.
Place the salmon, flesh side up, in a baking dish which comfortably fits it, and then spoon and press the beetroot cure on to the fish. Press and pack it in firmly and make sure it is covered all over. Then tightly wrap the tray in cling film and place in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.
Once a couple of days have passed and it’s time to serve the salmon, remove it from the fridge and wash the cure off. Then place on a board and use a sharp knife to thinly slice. Serve the salmon with the fennel salad, lemon wedges, slices of soda bread and caper berries.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINN: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
Hoppers shares the love and passion for Sri Lankan cuisine in which is now being cherished throughout the three restaurants located around London: Soho, Marylebone and King’s Cross. The face behind the name is none other than Karan Gokani, co-founder and creative director of Hoppers…a huge advocate for this delicious cookery.
The name ‘Hoppers‘ itself derives from the common dish of a bowl-like pancake made from coconut milk and rice flour. Also known as ‘Appams‘ this dish is enjoyed by many Sri Lankan’s and Southern Indians for breakfast or even dinner time!
With seven years of great appreciation to the cuisine, Karan has finally released the debut ‘Hoppers: Cookbook’. Karan writes a story of personal memories, collections of the restaurant’s favourite recipes and stories through the many visits to Sri Lanka from when Hoppers was first conceptualised… Now, they get to share a little piece of this cuisine with you at home.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINNS: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
Within this cookbook, Maldon Salt is used for the creation of the deliciously good Pol Sambol. Sambols in general sit between a relish and a salad, where raw ingredients are pounded with chilli flakes to be served as a condiment.
Make sure to use a pestle and mortar for this dish, as the pounding of the ingredients will break up the cells and release intensified flavours!
80g (2¾oz) Thai shallots (or 50g/1¾oz Indian onion), Finely Chopped
100g (3½oz) Fresh Coconut, Grated
Juice of 1 Lime
Method:
Grind the black peppercorns, chilli flakes, Maldive Fish Flakes and Maldon Salt in a pestle and mortar until you have a coarse red powder.
Add the green chillies and shallots and pound the mixture with the pestle until the ingredients start to break up into a rough paste.
Add the grated coconut and continue to pound and stir until everything is well mixed and bright red. Add the lime juice gradually and taste as you go, you might not need it at all. This is best eaten straight away, but any extra sambol can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINN: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
We love seeing your creations you dish up on Instagram! Tag us using #maldonsalt so we can see your culinary concoctions come to life when you add a sprinkle of our salt.
The classic Paella, a cult favourite within the Spanish cuisine. Paired with saffron flavoured rice, this dish carries an abundance of flavours, including chicken; Norwegian Lobster, squid, mussels and monkfish.
For the mussels, heat two inches of water in a saucepan over a high heat. When it reaches the boil, add the mussels for a minute, remove from the heat and set aside without opening the lid.
Whilst the mussels are boiling, begin prepping the remainder of the vegetables, chopping them finely. Heat the paella pan, keeping the pan on a medium-high heat in the centre, whilst keeping the sides at a low hear.
Pour 2 tbsp of oil in the centre of the paella pan. Add the head of garlic to the pan.
Brown the Norwegian Lobsters and prawns for 1 minute on either side and remove them.
For the sauté base, move the garlic to the side of the paella pan, add another 1 tbsp of oil and sauté the onion until it starts to turn transparent. Add the green pepper and stir the mixture as it cooks for 5 minutes at a low heat. Add the tomato and stir the mixture together. Add a pinch of sugar and Maldon Salt.
Move the sauté mix to the sides of the paella pan where the heat is lower. Add another tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken for 5-10 minutes and the squid 5 for minutes more (until they are golden). Bring the sauté mix back to the centre of the paella pan, mix everything together and push it back to the sides.
Sauté the green beans and peas for 2 minutes. Bring the sauté mixture back from the sides to the centre and stir everything together.
Add the remaining oil and the rice, stirring with the ingredients for 2 minutes over a high heat. Spread the whole mixture evenly over the paella pan, with the garlic head in the middle.
Add the fish stock. When the water boils, lower the heat to the minimum and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the diced monkfish to the rice. Open the mussels, keeping only the shell with the mussel meat. Finally, place the prawns, Norwegian Lobsters and mussels on top of the rice.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with eighths of lemon. Finish with a pinch of Maldon Salt.
‘A really simple and delicious recipe to impress your guests or loved ones at home, there’snothing quite like scallops done on the barbecue. This calls for the best product you can afford, sourced from your fishmonger – ask them to clean them for you and keep the shells for cooking’.
First make a lovage butter by chopping lovage finely and combing with soft butter, Maldon Salt for seasoning, a little wine and chill.
Once that’s done, cut the butter into 20g pieces and place onto the scallop, one piece for each.
Place the scallop onto the Weber Genesis barbecue in the shell facing up.
Cut the apple into batons to garnish.
Allow the scallops to sizzle in the shell until cooked, remove and rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with the apple batons and the leftover butter.
‘This purple sprouting broccoli recipe makes the perfect side or veggie lunch dish. Most importantly it brings a brilliant British ingredient to the fore. I used the Weber Genesis gas barbecue and a sprinkle of Maldon Salt to bring out the natural sweetness of the broccoli, which works perfectly with the earthy hazelnuts and salty Parmesan‘.
First, peel the broccoli and blanch for 2 minutes in salted water.
Barbecue the broccoli to finish, caramelising the outside, season lightly with Maldon Salt.
Plate the broccoli, spoon on the crushed, toasted hazelnuts, drizzle with the anchovy dressing, and add grated Parmesan. So simple and delicious
Make the spice blend by mixing everything together in a small bowl. Take another bowl and make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, garlic, parsley and gherkins. Stir through a couple of teaspoons of the spices, and set aside. In another little bowl, stir together the lime zest and Maldon, set aside.
Sprinkle the flour on a large plate and stir through the remaining spice blend.
Take a small sharp knife and carefully slice down the back of each prawn – this will allow them to open out on cooking, and mean you get more spicy flavour inside. As you slice the prawns, drop them onto the plate of flour. Once they are all cut toss them about to coat evenly, working a little of the spicy flour into the cut surfaces.
Fire up your barbecue ready for two zone grilling with the charcoal piled to one half so you can cook both directly and indirectly. This allows you to have control over the heat.
Once hot, rest the whole peppers directly over the fire and grill all over until soft and lightly charred. Slide away from the heat to keep warm.
Set a fireproof pan (no wooden or plastic handles) directly over the fire and add the butter. Once its foaming tip in the floured prawns and stir fry over a high heat until they are pink and cooked through and crispy in places.
To serve, slice the baguette though but leave top and bottom hinged together. If you like you can warm them briefly in the barbecue. Add lettuce to the base, followed by a whole pepper – I leave the stem on and just nibble around it! But cut into strips if you prefer…
Spoon a little dressing on top then scatter over the prawns and finish with a sprinkle of the lime salt. Tuck in whilst hot.
To cook inside:
Grill the peppers on a hot griddle pan, fry the prawns on the hob over a high heat, warm the baguette under the grill or in the oven.
Cooking a large piece of salmon feels like a celebratory treat, I like to use a couple of thick 1kg salmon fillets, with the stuffing sandwiched between them for ease of ‘carving’, and I make sure my fishmonger cuts them so they are the same size and fit together neatly. However, you could also adapt this recipe to use a 2kg whole salmon if you like, using the stuffing in the gut cavity – the cooking time should be pretty similar.
You also need baking paper, a whole newspaper and some string to tie it up. Begin by making the stuffing. You can do this several hours in advance if you want to get ahead. Set a large frying pan over a high heat, tip in the pine nuts, and let them toast to a golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the capers, garlic, parsley, chives and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little salt on the skin side of both salmon filets, rubbing it in well in the cuts through the skin. Rest one of the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a large sheet of baking paper. Spoon the filling on top of the fillet, pressing it down firmly all the way to the edges. Lay the second fillet, skin side up, over the filling to make a salmon ‘sandwich’. Bring up the sides of the baking paper to wrap and cover the fish completely. Then spread out the newspaper and lift the fish on to it, wrapping it up in a bundle. Use string to tie and secure the newspaper in several places – you might want to enlist a second pair of hands so you can get the knots good and tight. Now lift the fish parcel and hold it under a gently running cold tap to dampen the newspaper all over. This will create a steamy environment for the fish to cook in. When you are ready to cook, fire up your barbecue ready for indirect grilling. Rest the fish parcel on the grill bars away from the fire. Insert the Weber Connect probe deep into the centre of the fish and shut the lid. Leave to cook until the internal temperature is 60C. This may take and hour or so, depending on the heat of the barbecue. Whilst the fish is cooking, make the lemon yogurt dressing by simply mixing together the yogurt, lemon juice and zest and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Rest the parcel on a serving platter, then cut through the top of the newspaper and peel back the layers to reveal the fish below. Cut into chunky slices and serve with lemon yogurt on the side.
This recipe is deliciously quick and easy to make – whether that be on your BBQ or a trusty, griddle pan in your kitchen! We chose to barbecue our king prawn as the grilling process will allow the meat to retain more nutrients and juices in comparison to frying them.
We created a beautiful green sauce to brush over the king prawns to infuse a punch of zest from lime and gentle warmth from the ginger and garlic.
A pinch of Maldon Salt is important in this recipe because salt will ensure water is drawn out from the prawns to maintain an even cook without the shellfish drying out, resulting in a perfectly plump, sweet prawn.
In a high-powered blender or food processor, blitz together the unsalted butter, grated ginger, garlic, coriander, lime zest and Maldon Salt. Mix this until you have a smooth and vibrantly green butter.
Heat up the BBQ or alternatively you can you a griddle pan. Brush the prawns all over with the green butter until they are well coated. Place them on the griddle and cook for 2 minutes on each side until they are bright pink and cooked with light charring on their shells.
Remove the prawns from the griddle and brush with some more of the butter, allowing it to soak in. Add the lime wedges to the hot griddle pan and cook them for a minute on each side to char.
Remove the lime wedges and squeeze them over the prawns. Sprinkle over the finely diced chilli and coriander leaves and the prawns are ready to serve.
