Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes

January 26, 2014

Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes


There are many things we have thanks to Sweden.
Pippi Longstocking, IKEA, H&M, Absolut Vodka, Vikings, blondes, ABBA, and Smörgåsbords, among others.
One of the lesser known are Hasselback potatoes.
These delectable thinly sliced baked potatoes - soft on the inside and super crispy on the outside - originate from the fancy Hasselbacken hotel & restaurant in Stockholm.
Just when you thought that Swedish cuisine was limited to the cafe at IKEA, followed by a jaunt round the food store before leaving the hangar sized shop...BAM! Hasselback potatoes.


Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes


A hasselback potato is simply a baked potato, except that the potato is cut into very thin slices almost down to the bottom.
In those little crevices, magic happens.

Slicing Potatoes
Potatoes ready for the ovenAs the potatoes bake, the butter browns, developing a deep, nutty flavor and the exposed potatoes’ interiors absorb all of the thyme-garlic flavors. Bliss.
Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes


What emerges is a soft potato with crisp edges and the flavor of the roasted garlic thyme butter infused throughout.
The hasselback-style also jazzes up the potatoes. If you are making these for a dinner party or trying to impress, with hasselback potatoes you’ll cut a dash.
Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Thyme Butter Hasselback Potatoes                                             Print this recipe!

The slicing technique with chopsticks was taught me by Sonia @TheHealthyFoodie. It’s super smart and works great!

Ingredients
Serves 4 - 6

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 medium potatoes (I used red, but yellow fins, white or sweet potatoes work perfectly too)
Fine grain sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat roast the garlic, turning occasionally, until you get black spots all over, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and remove the papery skins.
In a food processor (or blender) place garlic, butter, thyme and olive oil and pulse until well blended.
Return the garlic butter to the saucepan and heat until sizzling. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425°F (200°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Thoroughly wash the potatoes.
Place a wooden chopstick on either side of the potatoes and, with a sharp knife, cut across at about 1/8-inch intervals, without going all the way through the potatoes. The chopsticks will prevent this from happen, but be careful nonetheless.
Once you’ve cut them all, put the potatoes in the baking dish, cut side up and spoon the garlic butter over the potatoes.
Sprinkle each potato well with salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes if using), cover with foil and cook in the oven for 60 to 75 minutes.
About 15 minutes before the potatoes are done cooking, remove the foil and finish the cooking.
Transfer to a plate, spoon on top some of the cooking liquid and serve.

Nutrition facts

One potato yields about 250 calories, 10 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbs and 6 grams of protein.

28 comments:

  1. Look delicious. Hubby is a meat and potato guy, so he is sure to love these. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hasselback potatoes are really delicious Lauren, if you want to make your husband happy look no further!

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  2. These potatoes look gorgeous! Little packets of deliciousness - I have to try this now:)

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    1. You have to Medha, Hasselback potatoes are the ultimate baked potatoes!

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  3. I have never roasted garlic in a saucepan before - always in an oven - I gotta try this method next time - such a timesaver!
    And these potatoes sound incredible! I usually eat a baked potato with tuna salad - but I think I might replace my plain ol baked potato for a hasselback one next time!

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    1. Roasting garlic on the stove top is super easy and time saving, as long as you have to roast a couple of cloves and not the whole bulb.
      Hasselback potatoes with tuna salad, might be the next best thing. I'm so gonna try it!

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  4. Wow man, you totally nailed this! Most beautiful Hasselback Potatoes I've ever seen. And the flavor you packed into them? Unreal!

    And, uhm, Smörgåsbords, eh? Oh yeah, sure gotta be thankful for those. But uhm, what are they exactly? Think I may have to go and ask my good friend Google here...

    And are you a lefty? Looks like you used my technique indeed, only mirrored. ;)

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    1. I'm actually ambidextrous; apart from writing, I can do things with both hands indifferently. Which is great.
      And thank you for the compliments about these potatoes. I honestly don't think they're better looking than yours; but if you say so who am I to contradict you?

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  5. Yum! I love serving hasselback potatoes when we have guests, but I've never tried the chopstick technique, what a good idea! Often our guests have never seen them before and get excited by how "fancy" they are...no need to mention that they're really just baked potatoes ;)

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    1. Hasselback potatoes cut a dash; they're a total show off!

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  6. Gotta love hasselback potatoes. These look super duper delicious!

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  7. Been seeing these about lately and after seeing yours I give in gotta try them out!

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  8. Hooray for ABBA and hasselback potatoes! The brown butter garlic thyme topping sounds heavenly to me. You bet these are happening soon at home ;--)

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  9. We did a feature on Swedish food (we made meatballs, another important Swedish export to the rest of the world, by the way) and didn't really consider this dish very seriously. Seeing how it looks finished has put it back into consideration for when Sweden comes up again. That's a lot of surface area for applying delicious seasoning and crispiness.

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    1. Thanks Chris! And yes, Hasselback Potatoes should definitely be part of Sweden's squad for the next game.

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  10. I would think I were eating an Armadillo if I ate these! LOL!

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    1. Ha Gigi, I think they look more like accordions, but armadillo works too ;)

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  11. So, I guess you tell a true blonde by knowing if she has Swedish roots? :-) I've never tried Hasselback potatoes, but they sound and look delicious! I bet a few dashes of parmesan or nutritional yeast would be delicious on these as well! :-)

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    1. You should totally give Hasselback potatoes a try Lauren, they're that delicious. You won't be disappointed!

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  12. Haha who knew that there was more than just IKEA thanks to the Swedes?! Loving these hasselback potatoes... such a great way to dress them up for dinner parties.

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  13. Great tips Mike. It's one of those things I admire and haven't cooked yet. Your tips and flavors want me to go bake some soon.
    Lovely.

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    1. You should totally try Hasselback potatoes Ash, they're so good!

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  14. Just made these, lots of prep time but oh my Gosh! DELICIOUS! my 19month old loved them-he pulled them all apart. I used austrian fingerlings or whatever-they were really small, took forever to prepare but the outsides were crispy and the insides were soft-as advertized-they cooked in 40 minutes due to size. loved these! Husband said they were the best potatoes he ever ate! oh and we thought they looked like grubs. Thank you! and Thank You Sweden!

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