Hasselback Potatoes

See I always thought the name Hasselback was derived from some cowboy country or even the Australian outback but after doing a bit of research, the name Hasselback is actually  Hasselbacken, a restaurant in Stockholm where this dish originated. Interesting. But…I’m really getting into the Christmas mood. And I was experimenting with potatoes to see what trimmings to serve this year. Hasselbacks are just roast potatoes but with mean-looking slits on the surface.

I don’t think they taste any different from ordinary roast potatoes but they do ‘dress‘ to impress. If you want to wow your guests with pumped-up presentation, I’d say these potatoes do the trick. They do look so pretty. And compared to potato wedges, you just have to roast the whole potato and guests can each take one. You can do whole potatoes but what I did were halves here to fit into my roasting plate.

When you make the slits on the potatoes, you don’t cut all the way. To know a good tip on how to cut a good Hasselback, you can visit Perfecting the Pairing. Unfortunately my husband wasn’t a fan of these spuds so it’s back to the chopping board.

HASSELBACK POTATOES RECIPE

Ingredients;

Russet potatoes or any good roasting potatoes, washed, peeled (or not), dried
Black Pepper
Fresh rosemary

Oil coating;
Salted Butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, grated

Steps;

1. Cut the spuds in halves, and place the cut side down as the base. If you wish to roast the entire potato, make a cut at the bottom to keep it flat.
2. Make multiple slits on the top surface of the potato. Place them on a baking dish.
3. Mix the grated garlic with the melted butter. Using a brush, brush each potato with the garlic-butter.
4. Crack some black pepper on all of them and then tear the rosemary leaves and spread them all over.
5. Roast in a pre-heated oven of 200 degrees Celsius for 50 mins to an hour, basting occasionally with the butter oil inside the dish or use more of the garlic-butter.
6. When the potatoes are soft enough, set your oven to top grill to crisp the top of the spuds.
7. Take them out when they’re browned on top. Eat while they’re still warm.

Enjoy!