Hasselback potatoes with a Twist

Yes, they're pretty. Yes, they're crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Yes, they are spicy. Yes, they're EASY to make!!! And they are (drumroll) The Hasselback Potatoes! Ok, I admit it. I like potatoes. They're versatile. They're easy to cook and I love them especially when they're crisp and that too with a very little effort to cook them. 

I made them as a side to my Pollo Parmigiano or chicken parmesan (for the non Italians). I know I know, a combination of two different cuisines, might or might not work. But what I did was, I herbed the potatoes with Italian seasoning. So look-wise they were your Swedish hasselback potatoes, but taste-wise, oh so Italiano! 

All you need is:

1 Potato each per person ( I made 4)

2 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Parsley

1/2 tsp Italian Salad seasoning

4 thinly sliced garlic cloves 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Adjust the seasoning if you're making more potatoes.

A pinch of love

Method

Wash and pat dry the potatoes. Heat your oven to 425F or bout 220C and like a baking tray with foil. Easy to clean up after. Brush on some of the mixture of butter and oil on the foil. Take a roundish serving spoon and place your potato's flat side down on it. Make cuts across the potato. The edges of the spoon will prevent you from cutting down all the way. Cut at a distance of about 3 mm. Make sure you don't cut all the way through. Now place your finely sliced garlic in alternate grooves. I use one clove per potato. Don't worry, its not too garlicky cause the garlic will get slow roasted in the oven along with the potatoes. You can use garlic salt instead if you want to, but I like to use fresh garlic. Mix oil and butter in a bowl. Add the rest of the seasonings, namely, salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley and Italian salad seasoning to it along with you pinch of love. Mix well and take a brush to coat each potato evenly and even between the grooves. Don't try to push the potatoes apart or they might break. Place each potato on a baking tray and bake for bout 40 minutes. Stick a fork on the side of one potato to check if they're done. No resistance, means the root has been cooked through. Also the skin should be crisp and golden red in colour and the aroma, insanely tempting! Serve them with a dollop of cream cheese or ketchup or nothing. They taste good anyways! And oh so pretty to look at with, you'd agree, least amount of effort! :)