I only discovered hasselback potatoes a few years ago at a birthday braai where my good friend Suné Rupping helped to cook side dishes for the hungry beer-drinking crowd. She made a huge tray full of hasselbacks as one of the side dishes to the braai meat, baked to golden perfection, crisp and magnificent.
“What on earth did you do to the potatoes?!” I exclaimed (with delight). Suné looked at me with a gleam in her eye. “Don’t you know hasselbacks?” Rethorical question, of course. And the rest is history.
I don’t eat whole potatoes often, but when I do, I throw caution to the wind make a decadent meal of them. Hasselback potatoes are an absolute joy to look at, easy to prepare, and so delicious with a scoop of sour cream and chives on top. You can serve these as a side dish or as a fabulous meal all on its own.
I’ve prepared these with olive oil, with butter and with canola oil – and I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer them roasted with canola oil. It’s a personal preference thing, so change it up as you like. A little butter right at the end also does wonders. You can also add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary right from the start, if you like.
Note: Fingerling potatoes can be found at some leading supermarkets – I found these at Checkers. For larger potatoes, just increase the baking time accordingly (maybe 45 minutes for a regular large potato).
Ingredients: (serves 4)
- 1kg fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
- about 125 ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
- salt flakes & ground black pepper for seasoning
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 180 C.
- Place each potato on the concave head part (not the back) of a large wooden spoon. Use a sharp knife to cut 5mm thick slices on the potato – the wooden spoon will prevent you from cutting all the way through the potato.
- Place all the cut potatoes (in tact) inside a large roasting tray, then drizzle all over with oil and season well with salt & pepper. Roast at 180 C for 25 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully baste the potatoes again with the warm oil inside the roasting tray. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, then remove from oven and transfer to a serving plate with a slotted spoon.
- Serve hot with sour cream & chives.
Credits:
This post was originally written for The Pretty Blog by Ilse van der Merwe from The Food Fox.
Recipe, food preparation and text: Ilse van der Merwe
Photography: Tasha Seccombe
Styling: Nicola Pretorius
