Hasselback Potatoes

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.