This is a British derivation on a Swedish recipe created by the Hasslebacken Hotel a few centuries ago. I love that its super simple but looks very fancy. Perfect for my Christmas Eve feast!
Hassleback Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
12 Yukon gold potatoes of medium size
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Wash and dry the potatoes. If your potatoes seem to not want to lay flat you can cut a very small slice off the bottom of the potatoes to give them more stability.
Now, begin from the middle and make cuts through the top of the potato stopping when you’re almost all the way through. Leave the last 1/4 of the potato uncut. For smaller potatoes you can place them in a wooden spoon to act as a guide for your knife.
Let them soak completely covered in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes or even longer if you’d like to make ahead.
Rinse and dry the potatoes and place them on a foil lined baking tray. Sprinkle over the olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about an hour, checking with the tip of a knife for tenderness and if they are cooked through.
The layers you’ve cut will have spread into a fan shape, pretty!
Take them out of the oven and cover with foil while you make the topping, or if you need the oven for your roast or somesuch you can hold them here for up to 30 minutes.
For the topping:
1 cup Panko crumbs or plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Mix everything together and sprinkle over the potatoes, making sure you get some into the spaces that have opened during baking. Pop them back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Serve with sour cream or blue cheese crumbles.
Kathleen Rear 