Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes

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These look like little armadillos.  The texture is a combination of crispy and tender.  Yum. Who doesn't like searching for the perfect, crispy, golden brown parts of a potato cooked like this? Hasselbacks are a potato recipe that hails from Sweden, and they originally used butter and breadcrumbs, and sometimes Parmesan. Bay leaves are a favorite Scandinavian herb, so you can insert a bay leaf in between each potato slice if you want. It looks beautiful to see the leaves poking out of the fanned slices!

Sweet potatoes also work well, if you choose well-shaped ones.

6 russet potatoes, organic, medium size, scrubbed clean

¼ C olive oil (preferrably heated with fresh rosemary, then cooled)

¼ C butter, room temperature

Sea salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat ove to 425ºF.  Put the potato on a chopping board (peeled or not), flattest side down (cut a very thin slice off the base if it won’t lay flat).  Lay a chopstick on each long side of the potato.  Starting at one end of the potato cut almost all the way through at 3mm intervals, or even thinner if you can (the chop stick stops you from cutting all the way through. Or you can push a wooden skewer through each potato lengthwise about 5mm from the bottom to stop the knife. Remove skewer when done cutting). 
2. Rinse “hasselbacked” potatoes under cold water to remove starch and pat dry.
3. Rub with softened butter.
4. Carefully fan out the potato, being careful not to break it, and drizzle olive oil between the slices. 
5. Arrange the potatoes on a foil-lined baking tray and insert a garlic slice in between the slits. Scatter some more butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Bake the potatoes for about 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.  5 minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle with cheese (optional), and bake until bubbly and golden brown.  Put under broiler if necessary to brown well.
7. Before serving cover with fresh minced parsley, or a mixture of fresh minced herbs.

Variations:

• Bread crumbs, cheese (high quality, grated). Mix in food processor and pat on to potatoes after they have been buttered or rubbed with olive oil.
• 1-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and inserted in between sliced potatoes before baking.
• Additional garlic for roasting: add unpeeled garlic cloves to pan before baking, and serve alongside potatoes.
• Bay leaves: insert one bay leaf into each potato, sticking out like a flag.
• Fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, loveage or chives work especially well.
• Toppings after baking: melted browned butter; sour cream; herbed butter, pesto.