Baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food dinner and are easy to make, but they can turn out soggy or lacking in flavour if they are not prepared properly. One of the biggest mistake people make is wrapping up baked potatoes in tin foil as they think it helps crisp up the skin.

However, potatoes contain a lot of water that turns into steam while cooking, and if you wrap them up it will actually soften the skin and make the inside heavy and damp. Instead, Nicky Corbishley, a cook and founder of Kitchen Sanctuary, has shared that the key to making a crispy baked potato that tastes amazing is simply to season it - and she highly recommends using beef dripping.

Nicky said: "Yes, I know, sounds strange! Not only will the dripping help to give a crispy, flavourful skin, but it will also help the salt and pepper adhere to the skin. You can replace with sunflower oil for a vegetarian alternative."

Beef dripping has a high smoke point, which means it can be cooked at a very high temperature without burning to help potatoes crisp up instead of steaming in the oven.

It comes from the juices leftover from a roast so make sure to save your leftovers if you make a Sunday dinner. However, it is also cheap to buy in supermarkets as it costs £1.25 at Tesco and Sainsburys.

When beef dripping is rubbed into potato skin it helps drive out moisture so it evenly cooks, resulting in every inch being perfectly golden and delicious.

Not only will beef dripping make the potatoes crispy but it gives it a richer and more savoury flavour so it will also be much tastier.

Sunflower also has a high smoke point which is why it is the best alternative if you do not want to use beef dripping.

You will need (for one person):

• One baking potato
• One teaspoon of beef dripping (or sunflower oil)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

To begin, preheat the oven to 220C. Prepare a trap by lining it with baking paper, and then poke your potato several times with a fork.

Since potatoes have a high water content, steam builds up inside them, and if this steam cannot escape, it will cause a lot of pressure and explode in the oven, which is why you need to poke them beforehand.

Place your potato on a plate and then microwave on high for five minutes. This helps make sure the centre is fully cooked once you cook them in the oven and also speeds up the cooking time.

Remove from the microwave and brush the potato with the beef dripping or sunflower oil. Then, roll the potato in salt and pepper. Once the potato is fully coated, place in the preheated oven and cook for 55 minutes.

When the time is up, take the potato out of the oven, cut it open, and load it with any toppings you wish. Your baked potato should be mouthwateringly crispy and golden, while still being fluffy on the inside