How to Cook Hasselback Potatoes?

Crisp on the edges, tender and creamy from the inside, is what Hasselback potatoes taste like. 

Potatoes are such a love that you can never go wrong with them, whether it’s potato skin, grilled potatoes, or baked ones.

What are Hasselback Potatoes?

Hasselback potatoes are baked, thinly sliced potatoes that are cut halfway through and appear fan-like. It offers a lot of taste and texture. It is crisp, and the spices and butter are pooled in between the folds providing full flavours of herbs.

They can be served as the main course, side dish cuisine, and canape too with different variations in flavours and toppings. Sometimes it is also called Accordion potatoes or Pillbug potatoes.

Origin 

During the 1950s, in Stockholm city of Sweden, a Swedish trainee chef named Leif Elisson at the Hasselbacken restaurant created this great recipe.

This dish gained popularity in Sweden in a short period of time because of its tender baked potato interiors with crispy-crunchy exteriors. As the dish became popular, it began to be known as Hasselback potatoes around the world.

Recipe

What Type of Potatoes Should be Used?

Potatoes having high starch content are considered best for crispy Hasselback potato recipes, and others baked potato cuisines. These starchy potatoes hold up the high heat required in the best way to achieve perfect crispiness.

The best-suited potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes, which are starchy and yellow-fleshed. They have a creamy texture and are fist-sized, which is just the right portion size for one person.

You can use other varieties like Russet potatoes and Idaho potatoes as well. Small red potatoes or sweet potatoes can also be used to make Hasselback potato recipes.

What is The Hasselback Technique?

Hasselbacking or Hasselback technique is a method of cooking in which potatoes or any other food items are thinly sliced into layers halfway through and are joined at the bottom, which is then stuffed or topped with different flavours. This technique creates more surface area for flavour and additional textures.

Techniques to cut Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes look difficult and tricky to cut. Don’t worry, though – a few simple tips can help you get going.

1. The foremost requirement is a sharp knife. Get yourself a chef’s knife if you haven’t one for the best results.
2. Secondly, choose medium-sized potatoes because they are easier to handle.
3. Place the potatoes on the cutting board and place a chopstick on either side of the potatoes. This will help in slicing the potatoes halfway and keep your potato intact on the lower side and will prevent you from accidentally cutting through the potato.
4. You can also use a serving spoon or wooden spoons for this. Put the potato in the shallow bowl of a wooden spoon and cut it carefully.
5. A hasselback potato cutting rack can also be used if available.
6. Now, cut thin slices of potatoes of about 1/8 inch in thickness with a knife till the knife touch the two chopsticks or the lip of the wooden spoon.
7. Cut slits most of the way through the potato.
8. Do not cut too far in the ends of the potato where there is less room to work with.

Recipe

For preparing delicious and crispy Hasselback potatoes, you need to keep in mind the following steps. You can pull this recipe easily.

• Preparation time- 15 minutes.
• Cooking time- 75 minutes.
• Servings- 6 servings.

Ingredients Required

1. Potatoes – 6 (Yukon gold potatoes) preferred of approximately 6 ounces each.
2. 4 tablespoons of melted and Unsalted butter.
3. Olive oil- 3 tablespoons.
4. Salt and pepper- according to taste.
5. 2 tablespoons of finely grated Cheese (Romano).
6. 3 tablespoons of chopped Parsley.
7. For garnishing- rosemary herb, breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic (anyone according to your taste and flavours).

Types of Equipment Required

1. Paring knife or chef’s knife.
2. Cutting board.
3. Chopsticks or wooden spoons.
4. Sheet pan.
5. Pastry brush.

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).

• Cleaning of potatoes- Peel off the Yukon gold potatoes skin, wash it thoroughly, and put them in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning.

• Slicing of potatoes- Put the potato on the cutting board, and set a chopstick or serving spoon on either side of the potato. Hold the potato from one end with a sharp knife and make deep vertical cuts about 1/16 to 1/8 inches apart halfway through the potato.

• Make sure not to cut through the potato. These chopsticks or spoons prevent accidentally cutting potatoes too deep or all the way through. Like this, slice the remaining potatoes thinly in layers with the joint at the bottom.

Seasoning of potatoes-

Take a large-rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Pour the melted butter and olive oil on the baking sheet, place the sliced potatoes on it and roll them over to cover them evenly with fat.

Now place the potatoes with sliced layers upside down with spaces in between them. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, olive oil and parsley. Drizzle this mixture over the potatoes and spread it with a brush. You can also sprinkle salt and pepper.

Baking of potatoes-

Bake the potatoes for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Potatoes will fan out more during cooking and achieve their accordion-like appearance. With the help of tongs, gently squeeze the base of each potato because this will open up the folds more.

Drizzle the fat mix over the potatoes, and use a pastry brush to spread the fat all over the potatoes and in between the slices evenly. Sprinkle more salt and black pepper, herbs, and cheese on top of the potatoes.

Return the tray to the oven and bake them for more than 15-20 minutes or till it turns golden brown with crispy edges. Serve immediately and enjoy this best-baked potato delicious recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Hasselback potatoes are frilled crisp potatoes that are scrumptious all on their own, But you can enjoy this with various toppings and flavours of your own choice. Herbs such as thyme and rosemary with parsley taste nice with these potatoes.

You can stuff up your baked potatoes with minced garlic, bread crumbs, chopped nuts, parmesan or other cheese, and sour cream, or you can season these roasted potatoes with paprika, pepper, and caraway seeds too.

You can also flare up the crispy potatoes on a metal skewer, giving them an accordion appearance and serve them with sour cream toppings.

Reheating 

You can relish the leftover baked potatoes after reheating them in the oven. Slice them and bake them with all the toppings and reheat them right before eating.

Place the leftover baked potatoes on a baking sheet or baking dish in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or till it is hot and crisp all the way through. Enjoy with your favourite toppings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories – 200 to 250 calories.
• Protein- 6.1 grams.
• Carbohydrates- 35 to 40 grams.
• Fat- 15 to 20 grams.
• Sodium – 170 milligrams.

Tips to get crispy Hasselback Potatoes

• The skin of the potato helps in holding slices together and improves the flavour of the potatoes too. So you can leave the skin on the potato.
• If you want your potatoes crispier, then cut thin slices in two directions, making a grid or crosshatch pattern, and pour extra butter and olive oil on it and bake it. You will get that extra crisp and crunch through this.
• Use Yukon gold potatoes instead of russet potatoes because Yukon golds have a waxier texture and will be easier to slice.
• Rinse off your potatoes in cold water or running water after slicing them. This will remove some starch and prevent the layers from sticking together.
• If you do not have the proper idea of the baking time required and don’t want semi-cooked spud, then first braise your potatoes in the water in the oven itself after slicing, or boil your sliced potatoes and cool down completely, then put butter, olive oil and seasoning and bake it.

Some Variations of the Recipe

These buttery classic Hasselback potatoes are great, but you can try on some other variations too.

1. Cheesy Hasselback Potato

You can use different types of cheese, like Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese, to get different flavours. Use pre-sliced cheese to keep the same thickness as your slices.

Put these slices in between the layers of potato and bake it. Top it with herbs and bacon to get heavenly creamy and cheesy bursts in each bite.

2. Brown Butter Hasselback Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Slice the potatoes and spread saturated fat over them. Sprinkle salt and pepper and roast till it is crispy and crunchy.

• Caramelize the onions– In a skillet, heat butter, add thinly sliced onions and salt, and cook, stirring in between, until onions are translucent. Then reduce the heat and cook onions, stirring continuously till it is caramelized and golden in colour. This process will take time.
• Prepare brown butter- Heat butter over low heat and stir it often until the mixture bubbles up and brown bits begin to appear at the bottom. Then turn off the heat and stir continuously for about 30 seconds. Add the minced garlic to it. Now, drizzle this brown butter generously over a baked potato and spread it into every fold and top them with caramelized onions.

3. Vegan Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

In these tender sweet potatoes, slices are drizzled with garlic-flavoured avocado aioli and topped with pomegranate seeds, cilantro leaves, and fresh chives.

An aioli is prepared by blending avocado, garlic, and salt till it becomes a creamy, mayo-like sauce. For a plating pipe or dollop, put the avocado aioli on the baked sweet potatoes and sprinkle the toppings.

4. Ranch Hasselback Potato Casserole

Though the Hasselback potato has crispy edges and thin flaky potato slices, in casserole form with creamy, cheesy sauce, its slicing is easier than classic Hasselback potatoes.

Slice the potatoes, mix the slices in a bowl with the cream, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, and garlic, and stir to coat evenly. Arrange the coated slices vertically in a casserole dish and bake them.

5. Pizza Stuffed Hasselback Potato

A spin on the classic baked potatoes with pizza supreme toppings. Toppings like diced tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, marinara sauce, cheese, and bacon are used.

6. Hasselback Potato Poutine

Pair up yhe Hasselback potato with poutine toppings- cheese curd and gravy. In a saucepan, pour meat stock and bring to a boil. Remove one tablespoon of stock to a small bowl and whisk that with cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour the prepared slurry into the stock and bring it to a boil.

Whisk in some butter and cook till the gravy thickened, stirring continuously. Season it with salt and pepper. Place the baked potatoes on a plate, put cheese curd on top and in between the slices, and pour the gravy over them.

7. Cinnamon Sugar Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with an Oatmeal Cookie Crumble

Combine butter, olive oil, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Form a small square of this mix and place it in the freeze to make it firm.

In another bowl, combine sugar, oats, cinnamon, salt, and butter mix. Mix this with your hands until they get moistened. Put the sliced sweet potatoes on the baking dish and put squares of butter mix in between the slices and crumble on top and bake.

Other Potato Recipes to Relish on

1. Instant pot mashed potatoes.
2. Baked potato wedges.
3. Hashbrown casserole.
4. Crispy parmesan potato stacks.
5. Roasted new potatoes.
6. Fondant potatoes.
7. Bacon-wrapped potato wedges.

The Footnote

Hasselback potatoes are a wonderful dish that pairs perfectly with any other protein dish like steaks, chicken, roasted lamb, baked ham, meat, and many other cuisines too. Try the recipe and enjoy crispy potatoes that look tantalizing because baked potatoes taste the best.

Also, check out, Best Steakhouse in Ottawa

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