Party Night Baked Potatoes

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins

4 medium-sized - baking potatoes

2 tablespoons - olive oil

- salt and pepper

2 oz - butter

1 large - onion

6 rashers (slices) - smoked streaky bacon (side bacon)

2 tablespoons - double cream (heavy cream)

8 oz - mixure of good melting cheesess

handful - parsley

Wash the potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Rub with half the oil, some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the potatoes on a baking tray and bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC) for about 1 hr 15 mins, until the skins are crisp and they are completely tender when gently squeezed.
Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the onion and roughly chop the bacon. Heat the remaining oil and half the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and gently cook for 15-20 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside, turn up the heat and add the chopped bacon and fry until just crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain.
When the potatoes are cooked, halve each one lengthways. Remember - they will be hot, so hold them with a towel or oven glove. Scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving a potato skin shell with a thin layer of potato. In the bowl, crush the potato with the remaining butter and the double cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in the onion and bacon and mix well.
Grate (shred) the cheeses and chop the parsley. Add three-quarters of the cheese and half the parsley to the bowl, combine well and spoon the potato-cheese mixture back into the potato shells. Top with the remaining cheese, place back on the baking tray and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until melting and golden. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with a sharply dressed crisp salad.