Why would you throw away the best bit of a baked potato? Don’t. Raid the fridge and fill it with all manner of scrumptiousness
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ome recipes, such as the gnocchi featured here last week, require only the fluffy insides of a baked potato, leaving the skins behind. Plenty of people leave the skins of their jacket spuds uneaten, too, though heaven knows why: it’s easily the best bit. These humble leftovers are an opportunity to make one of the most indulgent savoury treats known to humankind: loaded potato skins. I love them with just sea salt and a dollop of mayonnaise or soured cream, but they’re also gorgeous piled high with whatever bits and pieces you have to hand, turning scraps and leftovers into something that’s totally scrumptious.
This recipe is about being inventive and making the most of whatever you have in the house. I grill my loaded skins, rather than baking them, both to save energy and to speed up the cooking, which still achieves that perfect crunchy skin.
Feel free to experiment with flavours and textures. Some of my favourite combinations include broccoli, bacon and blue cheese; crumbled sausage with cream and sage; and tomatillo salsa with black beans and a cooling dollop of yoghurt. When I made these skins, I had some leftover aubergine curry, a nub of grana padano, yoghurt, the end of a jar of chilli jam and some mint leaves, and they all came together beautifully.
