Hasselback Potatoes

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A showstopper, these crisp, smoky potatoes are actually super-easy to make. 

Accordion Potatoes
Photo: © Christina Holmes
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Yield:
4 to 6

First things first: Hasselback potatoes are far easier to make than you think. Hasselback simply means the potatoes are sliced to resemble an accordion. The result is a potato with more surface area, which means it cooks faster, and emerges from the oven with thin, crispy layers. A sharp paring knife is essential to successfully slicing potatoes for this recipe. Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting most of the way but not completely through the potato.

Hasselback potatoes have been around since the 1950s, when they were served at the Hasselbacken Restaurant and Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden. They became popular in America in the last few years, as restaurant chefs and home cooks began experimenting with the preparation. This cooking method is popular not just for the striking presentation, but for how it allows the cook to customize flavors depending on the meal. Tucking bay leaves between the layers as we do here is one way to infuse flavor into the potato. You can also sprinkle dried herbs or spice blends between each layer; this works even better if you mix the herbs or spices with olive oil or melted butter and drizzle it over the potatoes after they are sliced but before you bake them. Anchovy butter or another compound butter will work well here; you can cut chilled butter into thin slices and tuck them between the potato layers. Feel free to experiment, and make these potatoes your own.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon pimentón de la Vera or other smoked paprika

  • 1 pound new fingerling potatoes

  • Kosher salt

  • Fresh black pepper

  • 1 bunch small fresh or dried bay leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place olive oil and pimentón in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

  2. Using a sharp paring knife, slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting down but not completely through the potato. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet. Drizzle with 5 tablespoons of the pimentón oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

  3. Roast potatoes cut sides up for 20 minutes. Insert a bay leaf into each potato and roast for about 20 minutes longer, until potatoes are golden, crisp and cooked through. Transfer potatoes to a platter, discard bay leaves, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of pimentón oil, and serve.

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