Would you enjoy presenting a show-stealing side that looked like it took you hours to make, but instead it only involved a few minutes of preparation time? Then saged Hasselback potatoes should be on your list of go-to’s. This dish involves potatoes that feature a sequence of dramatic vertical slits, came about from the Hotel Hasselbacken in the 1950s in Stockholm Sweden. It is one of those attractive side dishes that tastes and looks filling and hearty. The time to prepare the potatoes only involves a few minutes of your time, but your family and guests will be begging you for your top-secret recipe. Allow us to show the right way to prepare this fantastic dish, along with a cool hack to assist you along the way.
If you love Hasselback-style potatoes, we are sure you will enjoy our recipes for Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Thyme and our Hasselback Sweet Potatoes served with Parmesan, Pecans, and Thyme.
1. Choose Your Potato
You can prepare your Hasselback dish with russet potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, or any other type of potato that you fancy. But we are sure you will enjoy this dish thoroughly that you may end up experimenting with every type. This technique also works well with small new or fingerling potatoes, which may become a child’s favorite in your home. Regardless of your choice in potatoes, always scrub and wash them using a vegetable brush. Allow the skin to dry out before you start cutting into them.
2. Line Them Up
Use a solid pair of warp-free and new wooden chopsticks which will be your slicing guide rails for the potatoes. When you are finished the chopsticks will probably be ready for the trash heap. You can also use 2 wooden-spoon handles if you don’t have chopsticks lying around.
The handles or chopsticks serve the purpose of stopping your potatoes from rolling around, and they also stop you from accidentally cutting right the way through. You might need a bit of practice on 1 or 2 potatoes, but when you use a sharp knife and you get a feel on how far you can go before you hit the chopsticks, it will become 2nd nature in no time.
• Choose A Slice
Experiment with the slice sizes that you prefer to make. Different thicknesses will create different designs once the potatoes are cooked. Once you have chosen your preferred width, use a sharp chef’s knife to make a series of parallel cuts down to your chopsticks.
This is an optional step that helps to create a shape that is more fanned for each potato. After slicing each of your potatoes rinse each one under cold running water. The water will wash away a bit of the starch that may prevent the potatoes from making a fanned shape. Dry your potatoes very well before you season them. Gently shake out the water and wipe the outer skins down.
• Season Well
Before baking your potatoes preheat the oven to 400ºF and drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top parts of the potatoes which will allow the oil to run down into each slice. Generously season with ground pepper and salt. As your potatoes start fanning out more you will be able to add in more seasoning.
If you would like to cover every sliced area, combine melted butter or olive oil with pepper and salt in a bowl and brush your mixture across your potatoes.
Bake your potatoes for around 1 and half hours until they are soft inside and crispy and golden brown on the exterior. Garnish your potatoes with parsley or chives to add a bit of color and to enhance the flavor.
Make Them Into The Main Dish
If you would like to take this recipe to the next level, you can make Hasselback potatoes into a main dish by making a potato-bar and using different condiment bowls. Follow the steps mentioned above and then offer toppings such as chives and bacon, sour cream, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese, minced broccoli, cheese, salsa, and black beans. Whatever you enjoy as a topping on a baked potato will work well with this Hasselback potato recipe.
