Crispy fried, or soft baked? Why choose when you can have both? The answer is: Hasselback Potatoes.
Hasselback Potatoes are oven-roasted potatoes with a distinctive fan-like shape. They are named after the Swedish Restaurant Hasselbacken, where they were first served. They are also known as Potatoes à la Hasselbacken and Accordion Potatoes.
See also: HASSELBACK POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND THYME
The technique of cutting this distinctive fan-like pattern has developed into a culinary term called Hasselbacking. It describes the process of making even fan-like cuts almost all the way to the base, leaving the slices joined at the bottom, resulting in the characteristic fan-like shape.
The advantage of the fan is that the slices can be gently opened, seasoned, or stuffed with herbs, spices, or other ingredients. During baking, the centres of the potatoes absorb the flavours of the seasonings, and remain creamy and tender, while the fan-like cuts spread open and turn crispy and golden brown.
Hasselback potatoes are very easy and fast to make: the potatoes are sliced, quickly fried in hot oil, seasoned and then finished in the oven until tender on the inside, and crispy and golden brown on the outside.
The Hasselbacking, is a bit labour-intensive, but not difficult, when using a barrier for the knife: place the potatoes on a large curved wooden spoon, or position two chopsticks, or other long and thin objects along both sides of the potatoes. These act as a barrier, preventing the knife from cutting all the way through the potato.
Hasselback potatoes pair well as a side dish with most proteins or vegetables. They can be prepared using new potatoes, but also larger potatoes, though oven temperatures and cooking times will need to be adjusted. They can be adapted to serve as a main course, side dish, snack or canapé.
My personal favourite is this side-dish with new potatoes.
Tip: before serving, add a sprinkle of Maldon salt on top of the roasted potatoes for that extra crunch.
HOW TO PREPARE
HASSELBACK POTATOES
See also: HASSELBACK POTATOES WITH GARLIC & THYME
Recipe based on: Nigella Lawson, Forever Summer: Hasselback Potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4:
400 g small new potatoes (approx. 60g each) preferably of similar size (100g per person)
20 g butter
1 tablespoons (15 ml) Extra Virgin Olive oil
coarse sea salt
optional: Maldon salt
Equipment needed: ovenproof frying pan or a hob-proof roasting tin.
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/200°C fan.
Prepare the potatoes: Wash and clean the potatoes, then dry them with a paper towel.
Slice the potatoes: Slice each potato into a fan-shape, making sure the bottom remains uncut. To do this place each potato individually on a large, slightly curved wooden spoon. Starting from one end of the potato, make a cut every couple of millimetres. The curve of the wooden spoon acts as a barrier to prevent cutting all the way through.
Fry the potatoes: Heat an oven-proof pan, or hob-proof roasting tin over medium heat, then add 45 g of butter and 5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the fat starts to sizzle, add the potatoes to the pan cut side down and fry for a couple of minutes until they have gained a little colour. Turn them over carefully, then spoon the frying fat over the potatoes. Season with sea salt.
Roast the potatoes: Transfer the dish into the pre-heated oven and bake the potatoes for 40 minutes or until they are tender inside and browned and crispy on top. The potatoes fans will open nicely during baking.
Serve immediately crispy and hot.Perfect as a side with HONEY & THYME ROAST PORK FILLET
VARIATION:
HASSELBACK POTATOES WITH GARLIC & THYME
Follow the steps above, but add a couple of sprigs of thyme and whole cloves of garlic to the hot fat. Leave to infuse for a bit on low heat, stirring a couple of times to be sure that the oil gets well infused, then bring to sizzling point and proceed as above.
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