Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

I love beautiful things. I especially love when something is beautiful and I have had a hand in making it. It could be a scarf I knitted or something as simple as helping Peter arrange knick knacks on living room shelves. I love the sense of accomplishment that comes from making something aesthetically pleasing.

Enter the potatoes. Spuds are notoriously unappealing, especially russets. They’re lumpy and their skin never looks quite clean enough. They’re the kind of brown that reminds you of the kind of dirt you hate to get on your floor instead of the kind that’s a pleasure to dig your hands into in the garden.

Poor little guys.

While they may not be the prettiest veggie in the drawer, russets can definitely clean up nicely. With a little bit of patience, a plain jane russet can be transformed into a Hasselback potato and you will never think about baked potatoes the same way again.

These beauties originally appeared in the 1940s at the Restaurant Hasselbacken in Stockholm Sweden. They are ridiculously easy to make. All you need is a little bit of slicing, a little bit of oil drizzling, some salt and pepper shaking and your spuds are in the oven. I need a little bit of practice to get my slices super thin without cutting little wedges out. But that’s all the prep these potatoes need.

Once you get the hang of it, you’re set to create gorgeous baked potatoes anytime you’re feeling fancy.

Feel free to use melted butter instead of oil. If I wasn’t already putting an orange zest compound butter on top of our steaks, that’s what I would have done.

Hasselback potatoes require some time in the oven. They’re going to take about an hour, but they are definitely worth it. Prep them first and get them baking while you work on other portions of your meal and you won’t even notice the long cook time.

They will definitely steal the show.

Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients

As many russet potatoes as you need
3–4 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Brush a baking pan with olive oil.
  2. Scrub each potato. You can peel if you want to or leave the skin on for a decorate edge.
  3. Slice each potato about 3/4 of the way through, leaving each slice attached to the potato. Each slice should be between 1/8” and 1/4”. Fan very gently with your fingers to help spread the slices apart.
  4. Brush with half of the oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Make sure the bottom of your pan has some
  5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and brush with remaining oil. Make sure the oil is getting in between the slices.
  7. Return to oven for an additional 30–40 minutes. The edges should be crisp and the center should be soft and buttery.
  8. Serve immediately.