Regular baked spuds are good. Hasselback potatoes are awesome! Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, basted with garlic rosemary olive oil. This is roast potato perfection!
Soft on the inside and crispy on the edges, brushed with garlic rosemary olive oil! Hasselback success relies on thin slices so they fan out as they bake, allowing oil and salt to drip in between with crispy edges. Otherwise, they end up like regular roast spuds!
Making sure you cut through enough and using oval shaped spuds also help to ensure they fan out properly.
Worried about your knife skills? Don’t! So what if your slices are irregular or a little too thick? Wonky hasselbacks still trump regular roast spuds every day of the week. 🙂
Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 1hr 20mins
Course: Side DishC
swedish, Western
Keyword: hasselback potatoes
Servings: 5 – 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 – 6 x 250g / 8oz potatoes , oval shaped regular or floury, scrubbed clean (Aus: Sebago (dirt brushed), desiree, US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward, Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- Basting:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (Note 2)
- 4 garlic cloves , skin on, smashed (optional) (Note 3)
- 3 rosemary sprigs (optional but recommended) (Note 3)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Cut prep – Cut a thin slice off the base of a potato to make it sit flat while cutting.
- Place the potato between 2 wooden spatulas or chopsticks (no thicker than 1cm / 0.4″ – Note 4), to make it impossible for you to accidentally cut all the way through!
- THIN slices – Cut the potato into very thin slices, aiming for 2 mm. The cuts on the edges of the potato can be slightly thicker as the edges bake up crisper. (Note 4 for tips)
- Rub – Drizzle each potato the 1 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle/rub with the 1/4 tsp salt (ie share across all).
Baking:
- Bake 1 – Place the potatoes on a tray. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven.
- Baste 1 – The potato slices should be slightly less “stuck” together at this stage.
- Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil over the potatoes then sprinkle the salt evenly over.
- The salt gets spread later, so don’t worry if it looks like a lot! Throw the garlic and rosemary on the tray.
- Baking/basting – Bake the potatoes for another 40 minutes, basting with the oil on the tray every 10 minutes.
- Brush with a bit of pressure across the surface of the potatoes to encourage the oil and salt to drip down.
- Once oil gets between the slices, they will fan out more and more.
- CRISP IT! – Once the potatoes are soft in the centre (check with knife), turn the oven UP to 220°C/425°F (200°C).
- Baste the potatoes again then bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the edges are nice and golden.
- I am quite bold with this step, many others do not seek as much crispy edges.
- Serve immediately while hot and the edges are crispy! Peeling off those end bits are the BEST.
Notes:
1. Potatoes – All-rounder and floury / starchy potatoes are best. The most common potatoes at regular stores will be fine – they’re stocked because they’re great all-rounders. Oval shape fans out better than round ones.
Australia – Sebago (the dirt brushed potatoes sold everywhere) are perfect, Desiree are great too. US: Yukon Gold, russet, UK: Maris piper, King Edward.
2. Salt – it will look like a lot when you sprinkle but it gets spread when basting, all over the potato and between the slices.
3. Smash garlic by putting side of knife against it and hitting with palm of hand to make it burst open but mostly hold together. Releases garlic flavour into oil without ending up with lots of burnt black bits.
No herbs? Still worth making as the flavour is subtle. Thyme or sage would also work well. But, use fresh! Little bits of dry herbs will just burn.
4. Hasselback success relies on thin slices so they fan out more as they bake so salty oil drips down between the slices and you get crispy edges. Ensuring you cut through enough also factors into this (hence why I say the spatula / chopstick should not be thicker than 1cm / 0.4″).
But don’t fret if you are struggling! You can coax them open when basting – just apply a little pressure as you brush across the top and it will coax them open slightly. Last resort – use a butter knife to pry them open. Once a little oil gets between two slices of potato, it prevents them from sticking together again.
5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days but they will not be like the golden crispy masterpiece that you pulled hot out of the oven.
6. Nutrition per serving, takes into account an estimation of the oil remaining on the tray.