Tess Vickery’s Baked Spuds

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C, Gas 7.
• Wash the potatoes well, score around the lengthways just through the skin with a sharp knife (this stops them sometimes exploding in the oven) and place in the oven, cook for 1 hour or until soft and with crunchy skins.
• Meanwhile heat a saucepan and add the bacon and cook over a low heat without any oil until they are crispy.  There will be enough fat in the bacon to cook in.
• Remove the bacon from the pan with a spoon and add the chopped onion and vegetable oil then cook for a further 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned.
• Then add the onion back to the onions and stir well.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut in half lengthways, spoon the hot potato into a bowl.  Keep the skins intact.
• Add the bacon and onions to the potatoes add a little salt and pepper and mix carefully, do not puree.
• Spoon the mixture back into the shells piling nice and high.
• Spoon over a little melted butter and more black pepper. Then return to the oven or grill until lightly browned.
• That’s it simple, but really great to eat, all you need really is a little brown sauce for a good TV dinner.