The crispiest baked potatoes ever
Baked potatoes are a classic when it comes to filling side dishes. No wonder, as these crispy and tasty delicacies go really well with meat, fish and vegetables. Even though baked potatoes often end up on the plate at home and in restaurants, they are unfortunately not the main focus due to their function as a side dish. I believe that this needs to change. With more attention and, above all, the right technique, the side dish can become the highlight of the whole meal.
- 12 medium-sized potatoes
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- plenty of sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Thyme and rosemary (optional)
What makes the perfect baked potato
The secret to really crispy and fluffy baked potatoes lies in “mashing” them. As soon as the potatoes are cooked, they are lightly flattened using a potato masher. This increases the surface area of the potatoes. The ratio between the fluffy inner part and the crispy surface is optimized.
How flat the potatoes are pressed depends on your own taste. If you like them very crispy, they can be flattened to a thickness of only approx. 2 cm.
However, I personally recommend not overdoing it. The interplay of crispy and fluffy ingredients is what makes a baked potato so delicious. I like it best when the potatoes are pressed about 1/3 flatter.
By the way: If you have the choice, be sure to use floury potatoes. The result will be particularly crispy in a hot air fryer, but of course the classic oven also works as an alternative. Briefly pre-cooking the potatoes in salted water makes them fluffy and fluffy.
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes and pre-cook in salted water for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water, place the potatoes in a bowl and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place the marinated potatoes in the basket of the air fryer (alternatively on a baking tray for preparation in the oven) and pre-bake at 190 °C for 30 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes and mash them in the basket (alternatively on the baking tray) using a potato masher.
- Mix the herbs with the olive oil and pour over the potatoes. Bake the potatoes at the same temperature for a further 25 minutes until the surface is really crispy.
Tip
The herbs can of course be chosen according to your own taste. Rosemary and thyme are the classics, but sage also tastes very good with baked potatoes.
It is important that the herbs are drizzled with olive oil beforehand so that they do not burn in the hot air fryer. If you want to add extra flavor to the potatoes, tie the herbs into a bundle and dab them on the potatoes before the second baking cycle. Garlic cloves are also great for flavoring the potatoes.
