27 January 2023 , 18:14
1176
0
This Morning chef Phil Vickery recently revealed he loved eating jacket potatoes when he was a child and has now perfected how to get the perfect crispy skin.
During a recent appearance on the ITV lunchtime programme, the 61-year-old also explained that there are ways to make the family-favourite dish which is also more economically friendly.
Speaking to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, he joked that he'd been told off by Alice Beer for cooking his potatoes twice before shedding light on another way to make them.
While in the famous ITV kitchen, Phil explained: "You can microwave them and finish them in the oven for a crispy skin.
This Morning's Phil Vickery has shared a savvy money-saving tip for jacket potatoes"When you fill them and put them back in the oven, you don’t have to have the oven on, you can finish them under the grill to cut the energy down.
Phillip Schofield mocks Molly-Mae's baby name in cruel swipe at Love Island star
"Now, the thing to say also is - always, always, always use a sharp knife and score the potato around the outside [before you cook it] because they will explode otherwise. ," he clarified that as the temperature inside the oven heats up, the potato can expand and subsequently explode.
Holly and Phillip Schofield were amazed by the newsBut in a bid to keep energy costs down due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, Phil shared a genius hack that will certainly have Brits up and down the country rejoicing.
"I also put a teaspoon in the potato," he said before continuing: "Not when cooking in the microwave - but [cooking the potato in] a conventional oven, it cuts the cooking time down by at least about 20 minutes."
Shocked by the revelation, host Schofield asked: "Is that because the spoon gets so hot the heat goes down the spoon [handle] and into the centre of the potato?"
The chef explained that placing a teaspoon inside the potato can take around 15 to 20 minutes off the cooking timeVickery later said that those hoping to cook the fluffy food can use ready-made jacket potato spikes or skewers to place the potato in the oven but a spoon definitely helps.
Phillip Schofield commented: "So that will take it down from what time to what time?" before Phil Vickery explained it could take around 15 to 20 minutes off the cooking time, meaning they will be ready in around 35 to 40 minutes – rather than an hour.
However, this wasn't the only money-saving advice Phil offered, explaining to Holly that his nifty spoon trick can be applied to all root vegetables.
In order to reduce the cooking time even more, the potato can be pre-heated in the microwave (with no spoon) before being placed in a warm oven.