Ultimate Jacket Potato Night

Jacket potato night is one of my favourites. This extremely simple food can be positively festive with the right toppings and I don’t have to worry about complaining because everyone can build their own spud. I’m going to share with you four of my must-have fillings for you to try. I love the sight of the table laden with bowls of various fillings and I can relax because the children eat with enthusiasm. When children have some autonomy over what they can eat it builds their confidence at the table and interest in food. This is a simple and fun meal that does a lot of good for our hearts, minds and bodies.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults & 2 Kids
3 large floury potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt

prawn filling
150g frozen prawns
1 tbsp unfiltered olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt

curried egg filling
3 cooled boiled eggs
1 celery stick
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp of curry powder
S&P to taste
small bunch of fresh parsley

tuna filling
2 tins of tuna
1 small tin of sweetcorn
2 spring onions
2 tbsp mayo or crème fraiche
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt

cottage cheese filling
225g cottage cheese
1 spring onion
60g chopped pineapple
S&P to taste

Extras for the table: grated cheese, beans, cucumber slices and halved grapes

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°c (180°c Fan) and place a rack in the centre of the oven. Wash the potatoes then dry thoroughly with a tea towel (wet potatoes don’t crisp as well). Prick the potatoes all over with a small knife then put them in an ovenproof bowl and drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil. Rub the oil all over the spuds with your hands then sprinkle over 2 tsp of sea salt flakes (it’s a lot of salt because not all of it will stick to the potatoes).
• Carefully place the potatoes straight onto the rack in the middle of the oven, slide the dish on the rack underneath and cook for 70 minutes. Whilst the potatoes cook, prepare the fillings. Once the potatoes are cooked you should be able to slide a knife in easily. Cut a cross into the top of two potatoes and squeeze to expose the potato then add a knob of butter. Cut the third in half (one half each for the kids) and add a little butter.

• PRAWN FILLING Defrost the frozen prawns but running under cold water then placing in a wide dish. While they thaw make the dressing in a medium bowl. Mix the garlic paste with the olive oil, chilli flakes, lemon juice and sea salt. Once the prawns are defrosted drain and dry them then tip into the dressing and stir.

• CURRIED EGG FILLING Boil 3 eggs for 8 minutes then plunge into cold water and remove the shells. In a medium sized bowl cut the eggs into quarters then add the mayo, chopped celery and curry powder then mix. Season with salt and pepper then stir in chopped fresh parsley.

• COTTAGE CHEESE FILLING Finely chop 1 spring onion and add to 225g of cottage cheese. Stir in 60g of chopped pineapple. Season with salt and pepper.

• TUNA FILLING Drain the tuna and sweetcorn. Put the sweetcorn into a hot, dry pan and cook for 5 minutes to give the corn some colour and extra flavour. Add the tuna and sweetcorn to a medium sized bowl along with the finely chopped spring onion, mayo (or creme fraiche), lemon juice, salt and pepper.