Nigella's fully loaded potato skins

Makes 20 stuffed potato skins

INGREDIENTS

• 10 baking potatoes
• 225g strong cheddar or red leicester
• 250ml sour cream
• 4 spring onions
• 1 teaspoon Maldon salt or
  ½ teaspoon table salt or to taste 

• good grinding of black pepper

• 1 x 15ml tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 10 rashers American-style or thin-cut streaky bacon
• oil for frying

1. The day (or up to 2 days) before you load them, preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6 and bake the potatoes (pricking them first) for about 1½ hours, or until the skins are crisp and the insides fluffy. As soon as you can bear to tackle the hot potatoes, cut them in half lengthways and scoop the insides into a bowl.
2. Put the husk-like skins of the potatoes on a tray and, when cool, cover until you are ready to fill them. Let the potato cool in the bowl, and then cover until needed.
3. When you are ready to fill the potatoes, preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6. Grate the cheese, and add 200g of it to the cold potato along with the sour cream. Chop the spring onions and add to the potato, with the salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce.
4. Spoon the potato filling into the potato skins, and lay each half on a baking tray so they fit snugly together. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese, giving each potato skin a light covering, and cook for 20-30 minutes until golden.
5. Fry (or grill) the bacon rashers in oil until crispy, then crumble them and sprinkle half a rasher’s worth over each potato skin to make them fully loaded.

MAKE AHEAD TIP Fill the potato skins, as directed, and sprinkle with the cheese and crispy bacon (or add the crispy bacon after cooking if preferred). Cover loosely and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cook as directed.

FREEZE AHEAD TIP Fill the potato skins as above, wrap in clingfilm and freeze for up to 1 week. To cook, lay the frozen potato skins on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes, removing the foil after the first 15 minutes.

Rahmspinat

Recipe 1:

1 lb. fresh spinach (about 2 bunches) or 2 pkg. frozen spinach, chopped and cooked
3 T. butter, divided
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 med. onion, chopped fine (opt.)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste
2 T. flour
1 c. non-fat half & half or low-fat milk
1/2 -3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 hardboiled eggs, sliced
paprika

Directions

Wash and soak fresh spinach thoroughly and drain. Blanch spinach in boiling water for about 2 minutes; drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze spinach to remove moisture and chop well. (If using frozen spinach, thaw and cook as directed, then drain well.

Heat large heavy skillet on medium, melt 1 Tbs. butter and saute onion (opt.) and garlic until translucent. In small saucepan on med-low heat, melt 2 Tbs. butter. Add flour, stir until smooth. Slowly add milk, stirring until mixture thickens.

Combine spinach with onion mixture, add white sauce, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Simmer briefly and remove from heat. Serve, garnished with sliced eggs and sprinkled with paprika. Serves 4 -6.

Recipe 2

Rahmspinat mit Pellkartoffeln und Spiegelei

(adapted from chefkoch.de)

2 lb (1 kg) spinach leaves (to save time, I used frozen spinach leaves)

2 tbsp (25 g) butter

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150 g) cream (liquid is also weighed in German recipes)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150 g) milk (liquid is also weighed in German recipes)

salt to taste

nutmeg to taste

1. Cook fresh spinach leaves in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. If using frozen spinach, then boil until defrozed. Strain, run under cold water, and squeeze excess water out. You can chop the spinach, if you wish.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan, add spinach and to coat leaves with butter. Then stir in flour. Add milk and cream. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken (within minutes).

3. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Perfect oven chips

1 large baking potato
Paprika
Olive oil
Salt

Serves 1-2

Cut potato into chunky chips and pop in tupperware with a dash of paprika, a tablespoon of oil and a good pinch of salt

Spread on lightly oiled baking tray and leave for about 25 mins (fan oven) or 45 mins (regular oven)

Potato, Leek and Caerphilly Gratin

serves 8, prep 20 mins, cook - 1hr 50 200 (180 fan) degrees

50g Butter
500g sliced leeks
2kg peeled and sliced potatoes (red are recommended)
250g Caerphilly, thinly sliced
850 veg or chicken stock

* Melt 1/2 the butter in pan over medium heat, gently cook leeks with pinch of salt until softened (7-8 mins)
* Use just under 1/2 of the remaining butter to grease a gratin dish (rectangle about 2.6-3.2 litre) then layer pots, leeks and cheese in the dish, starting and ending with potatoes
* Bring stock to simmer the pour over (liquid should be just under the top layer of pots). Dot remaining butter on top
* Cook covered in foil for 40 mins, then uncovered for about 60 mins or until potatoes are tender, surface is brwon and about 1/2 the liquid is absorded Stand for 5-10 mins before serving
* If making ahead, don't refridgerate just reheat for 35-45 mins and leave uncovered for the last 5-10 mins to crisp the top up

Jacket potatoes

2 large potatoes, (225-275 g) each
olive oil
rock salt, crushed

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C).

Wash the potatoes and then dry them. Coat them in olive oil and then in salt (as much salt as possible as it dries out the skin and makes them good and crunchy). Pop them straight onto the shelf in the oven (put a pan under to collect any falling salt) and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until you can push a skewer through easily.