Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the most impressive dish. Hasselback potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and look absolutely stunning on the table, yet they couldn't be easier to make. A brilliant way to elevate your everyday potatoes from your Merredin Harvest seasonal box into something your whole family will be talking about.
Ingredients:
- 4 large potatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- Salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Chives for garnish, chopped
Method
Step 1 — Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat to 220°C.
Step 2 — Cut parallel slits into each potato, stopping just before you cut through so that the slices stay connected at the bottom of the potato. Space the slices 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch apart. You can rest the potato in a large serving spoon (or on 2 wooden chopsticks) and use that as a guide for when to stop slicing straight down, and when your knife hits the edge of the spoon, stop slicing.
Step 3 — Arrange the potatoes in a baking dish. Brush the potatoes all over with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter, including the bottoms. Sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and black pepper.
Step 4 — Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. At this point, the layers will start separating. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the potatoes again with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter.
Step 5 — Bake until the potatoes are crispy on the edges and easily pierced in the middles with a paring knife, 30 to 40 minutes. If you're adding any extras, stuff those into the slits and sprinkle over the top 5 to 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
Serve immediately. These potatoes are best straight from the oven while the edges are at their crispiest.