Deliciously Ella’s Mini Baked Potatoes with Cashew Sour Cream and Chives

An amazing little nibble for hungry friends. These warm, salt-crusted potatoes are stuffed with a creamy cashew sour cream, then sprinkled with lots of black pepper, chives and fresh chilli to make something incredibly delicious. They’re perfect in the winter, hearty and comforting, and will keep everyone happy while you finish making dinner.

Serves 6

FOR THE POTATOES
500g new potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt flakes and lots of black pepper
1 red chilli

FOR THE CASHEW SOUR CREAM
120g cashew nuts (soaked for 4 hours)
juice of 1½ lemons
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
8g chives, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 210°C (fan 190°C). Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.

Prick the skin of the potatoes with a fork, then rub them with the olive oil and sprinkle them with a generous amount of sea salt flakes. Place them on the prepared tray and bake for 1 hour, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Let them cool for 10–15 minutes, until they’re still warm but not boiling. Then, cut a cross in the top of each and squeeze up from the base to open the cut a little (use a tea towel to protect your hands from burning).

While they cool, make the cashew sour cream, adding 2 tablespoons of water as in that recipe, but using only 5g of the chives. Chop the remaining chives and the red chilli (discard the seeds).

Add 1 teaspoon of the cashew sour cream to each potato, pushing it into the opening.

Grind lots of black pepper over the top and sprinkle with salt, chives and chilli.

Serve straight away.

Recipe extracted from Deliciously Ella with Friends by Ella Mills, published by Yellow Kite, £25

Photography by Clare Winfield