BAKED POTATO BAR

SERVES 4-10

4-10 medium russet or other roasting potatoes, scrubbed well and patted dry Canola oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

ACCEPTABLE TOPPINGS INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO)

Sour cream, lots of it (sure, go ahead and use Greek-style yoghurt, but don’t blame me when you wish you’d used sour cream)

Chives and/or spring onions (scallions) Finely chopped unsalted butter,

preferably at room temperature Flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black

pepper

Trout or salmon roe

Finely chopped dill and/or parsley

NOTE Don’t cut the potatoes open until you’re ready to eat them, or else the steam will escape and they will lose heat, and the butter won’t melt when you put it on. (Tragedy!) While I frequently enjoy one for a solo dinner, baked potatoes are great when you’re having people over. Not only are they crowd-pleasing and require almost zero work on your part, but they are also the perfect opportunity to assemble a Really Cool Toppings Bar, a.k.a. the theme for my wedding, should I ever have one. Even though I find it hard to improve on the simple ‘ lots of butter, salt and too many spring onions’ combo, I do love to get dressed up for company and break out the picked herbs, sour cream and fancy fish eggs. But don’t let the presence of caviar intimidate you – the following toppings are just suggestions, and do not have to be obeyed, by any means. Preheat the oven to 260°C, or its highest setting. This may seem excessive, but I assure you it is not. Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all around. This is kind of a violent act, I’ll admit, but it’s necessary so that the steam can escape the potato, allowing the inside to cook evenly and the skin to crisp. You could use a small sharp knife, but I don’t want anyone ending up in hospital. Drizzle a little oil onto each potato, or onto your hands, and just like you’re oiling yourself up on some fantastic beach, rub the potatoes with a thin, even layer of oil. (My mum would do this with a paper towel; also an option.) Season the potatoes all over with salt and pepper, and place directly onto the oven racks (place a tray underneath the racks to catch excess oil) and bake until the potatoes are deeply crispy, really dark brown on the outside, and totally baked through, 60-70 minutes. Carefully remove the potatoes and transfer to a large serving platter. Once ready to eat, slice them open lengthways and fill to your heart’s content with all the toppings in the land.