Phil Vickery reveals why a TEASPOON is the secret weapon to cooking crispy jacket potatoes

This Morning chef Phil Vickery has revealed why a teaspoon is the secret weapon to cooking crispy jacket potatoes 20 minutes quicker in the oven.

During an appearance on the ITV programme, the 61-year-old shared the ingenious spud hack which can reduce energy costs with hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

He said: ‘I also put a teaspoon in the potato. Not when cooking in the microwave – but [cooking the potato in] a conventional oven, it cuts the cooking time down by at least about 20 minutes.’ 

Schofield responded: ‘Is that because the spoon gets so hot the heat goes down the spoon [handle] and into the centre of the potato?’

During an appearance on the ITV programme, the 61-year-old shared the ingenious spud hack which can reduce energy costs with hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield

He added: ‘So that will take it down from what time to what time?’

Vickery explained it could reduce the cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes, from an hour to around 35 to 40 minutes.

The celebrity chef also said that the spoon trick could be used with any root vegetable and the cooking time could be reduced even more if the potato is pre-heated in the microwave.

It comes after Young MasterChef judge Poppy O’Toole revealed her Michelin-star method for the perfect roasties.

The self-crowned potato queen told MailOnline: ‘I can safely say I’ve made it my life’s work to nail the perfect roast potato and I’m proud to say I’ve cracked it.’

To put her recipe to the test, Poppy says it is important to always parboil the potatoes before turning to the oven.

Fill a pan with potatoes and top with cold water – as the chef explains, ‘if you throw your chunks of potatoes into boiling water straight away, they will start to cook from the exterior and give an uneven cook – which means in the end you won’t get those perfectly fluffy spuds.

Bring the water to the boil and cook the potatoes until the ‘falling off the knife’ phase.

This is a simple hack which allows anyone to check whether their potatoes are ready in seconds – simply poke them with a knife.

Poppy says: ‘To know your potatoes are ready, poke them with a knife and if they don’t stay on the knife, you’re good to go.’

The third step is to ‘steam-dry’. Drain the potatoes using a colander, then place the colander on top of the pan. Cover with a tea-tea towel and leave for 10-15 minutes. 

Vickery explained it could reduce the cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes, from an hour to around 35 to 40 minutes

Poppy O’Toole is the self-appointed potato queen of the chef world – putting her Michelin-star training into action

Poppy said: ‘I can safely say I’ve made it my life’s work to nail the perfect roast potato and I’m proud to say I’ve cracked it’

After the time has passed, Poppy advises to toss the potatoes within the colander: ‘This will mean you get all the nice white bits around the potatoes which will equal the crispiness everyone loves.’ 

While waiting for the potatoes to dry, preheat oil in the oven. Poppy usually opts for plain old vegetable oil, but says that those looking for something a bit ‘extra’ can use goose fat or beef dripping.

Poppy says: ‘Now pour them into preheated boiling hot oil and cook for 40-50 mins for the perfect spud.

‘I like it simply done with just veg oil and salt and pepper aplenty, but if you’re looking for something a bit extra, try goose fat or beef dripping instead of oil, or even pour a tablespoon or two of marmite over your spuds before putting them in the oil for a bit of an extra savoury kick.’

Marmite might seem a step too far for some, but Poppy’s followers assure us it’s delicious.