Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 250°C.
• 2.
  Don't peel the potatoes. Just bung them in a pot of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for around 15 minutes until they'll take a skewer without too much resistance. (They should be just about cooked, without being soft.)
• 3.
  Drain, and transfer to a lightly greased baking tray. Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat, until it is twice its original diameter and looks like it's been run over by a bus.
• 4.
  Brush the tops with the oil and scatter with sea salt, pepper, fennel seeds and thyme.
• 5.
  Bake the potatoes on the top shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve hot.