Fully Loaded Potatoes

Fully Loaded Potatoes

I used Tesco's Finest Elfe Baking Potatoes for this recipe.

Potatoes...the most versatile vegetable of all! I think there's no other vegetable that can be cooked in so many different ways, and it tastes differently in each and everything. Potatoes are truly unique and one of my favourite foods to experiment with. Here's my own recipe for 'Fully Loaded Potatoes'. You can call them 'Potato Boats', 'Filled Potato Skins', etc, the choice is yours...

Fully Loaded Potatoes
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
Baking Potatoes: 4
Salt: 1/3 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp

For the filling:
Boiled Chicken: 3/4 cup (very finely shredded or chopped in a chopper) you can use cooked mince too.
Fresh coriander: finely chopped 2 tbsp
Mushrooms or bell pepper: finely chopped 2 tbsp (optional)
Salt: to taste or 1/3 tsp
Black Pepper: 1/3 tsp
Cream: 2 tbsp
Cheddar cheese grated: 1/2 cup
Red chilli flakes: as required

Method:

1.Take four good sized baking potatoes. Wash them well and dry them with a kitchen towel. Don't peel them.
2. Rub oil all over the potatoes and rub salt on them.
3. Prick them all over with a knife or fork.
4. Put them in the microwave for 7-8 minutes or more until done. (Put 1 or 2 potatoes at a time) (you will know they are cooked when you can insert a knife easily into the potato and they are soft to the middle).
You can also put them in the oven (instead of microwave) for 30-40 minutes until they are cooked through.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked through, let them cool until you can handle them easily.
6. Once you feel you can handle them, divide them in half length wise.
7. Scoop out the potato flesh from the skin into a bowl and leave half an inch of potato near the skin all around so that you have a kind of boat shape.
8. Repeat it with all the four potatoes and you will have 8 hollow potato skins.
9. In another bowl, take the chicken. Add coriander and any vegetables you are using. Season with salt and pepper. Add half the scooped out potatoes to the chicken mixture. Mix well. Add cream and mix. Check to adjust the salt and pepper.
10. Take a roasting or baking dish which is a little deep. Put cooking oil in the baking dish till it's about 1 cm high. Put it in the oven and let it heat for 10 minutes.
11. Mean while, put the chicken and potato mixture back into the potato skins with the help of a spoon until they are full. Scatter lots of cheddar cheese on top.
12. After 10 minutes, when the oil is hot carefully take out the baking dish and put the 'fully loaded' potato skins on to the baking dish.
13. Cook for 10-15 minutes at 200 C until the cheese melts and is golden. Sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and a green salad.