Ingredients
| 4 medium-large floury potatoes, scrubbed | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for rubbing the potatoes | |
| 1 x 100g can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce | |
| ½ cup sour cream | |
| 1 small leek, sliced | |
| ½ cup frozen peas | |
| 1½ cups Tuscan-style baked white beans or 1 x 400g can white beans, drained | |
| 60g butter, cut into 4 slices | |
| 120g cheddar, grated | |
| chives, to serve |
Baked potatoes welcome so many different toppings – they love cheese and sour cream, leftover ragù, chilli, spaghetti sauces and baked beans. I’ve even seen a fantastic one on Instagram filled with a full English breakfast. I’ve taken to cooking myself a baked potato in the air fryer to make an easy, comforting meal for one (one potato takes about 45 minutes at 180°C: see also Ginny Grant’s recipes using an air fryer to make delicious meals for two). If I’m in a hurry I might jazz up a can of baked beans with spices and spinach, but Tuscan-style white beans are perfect for this sort of meal.
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Instructions
| 1. | If using an oven, heat it to 180°C. |
| 2. | If using an air fryer, set it to 180°C. |
| 3. | Prick the potato skins a few times with a fork. |
| 4. | Put the potatoes into a baking dish and rub all over with some olive oil and salt. |
| 5. | Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or in the air fryer for 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. |
| 6. | Put the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce into a small blender. |
| 7. | Add about one-third of a can of water, swirling it around to rinse out all the sauce and blend. |
| 8. | Stir in sour cream. Refrigerate. |
| 9. | Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the leeks with a good sprinkle of salt, stirring for 2 minutes. |
| 10. | Add a sprinkle of water, cover and cook for 10 minutes until tender. |
| 11. | Stir in the peas and white beans, and heat through. |
| 12. | Remove the potatoes. |
| 13. | If using an oven, increase the temperature to 200°C fan bake. |
| 14. | Cut through the top of each potato in a cross and push the sides in to open out. |
| 15. | Use a fork to mash the potato insides and spread out to form a solid potato base. |
| 16. | Top each with a slice of butter and some cheese. |
| 17. | Pile with the leeks and beans and top with more cheese. |
| 18. | Put back into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or back into the air fryer for 5 minutes. |
| 19. | Serve with any extra leeks and beans, the chipotle sauce and sprinkle with chives. |
| 20. | VARIATION: SOUR CREAM & ’NDUJA TOPPED POTATOES |
| 21. | First bake the potatoes, as described above. |
| 22. | Cut a deep ‘V’ into each potato and scoop out the insides, leaving a solid shell. |
| 23. | Mash the potato with plenty of butter and season with salt. |
| 24. | Spoon back into the shell and bake for 12 minutes at 200°C until golden. |
| 25. | Top with sour cream, pan-fried ’nduja, chopped fresh parsley and chives mixed with lemon zest, fried sage and oregano leaves. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean Styling Fiona Smith & Aaron McLean