Spicy Hasselback Potatoes

Potatoes are some of my favorite comfort foods. They are so versatile and go with any dish you want to serve them with, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are also very good just eaten on their own. I love potatoes and I will eat them just about every way possible too.

I was looking for a new, different version of potatoes and decided to make some Hasselback potatoes, but with a spicy twist.

Potatoes are universal and people around the world love them cooked in many, many countless ways. Hasselback potatoes or Hasselbackspotatis, come to us from Sweden, from the Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm. They first made their appearance to the world’s culinary stage back in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Hasselback potatoes are potatoes that are thinly sliced, cut almost through the whole potato and roasted in oil and/or butter, and whatever other toppings you want to add. Not only are they delicious, but they are pretty potatoes too. The magic of the Hasselback potato is the crispy exterior and the creamy interior – it’s the best of both worlds all in one bite.

In the 1700’s potatoes were considered poisonous for human consumption by many Europeans. They were thought of as feed for livestock, and they were believed to cause leprosy in humans. The fear was so widespread that the French passed a law against them in 1748. Potatoes were called the poisoned apple or the devil’s apple, or devil’s fruit. People in South America had been eating potatoes for 1000’s of years before they made their way to Europe, so the notion that potatoes were poisonous was just a farce. And with wars and famine raging through Europe during this time, the attitude towards potatoes being poisonous was quickly disregarded. Lucky for us. Today, the whole world enjoys potatoes of all kinds.

Spicy Hasselback Potatoes

Lately, I have been using a lot of chili oil with roasted chilies in just about everything. I love the little extra kick it adds to spice things up a bit. The addition of the chili oil really brought this classic potato dish to life in a whole new way too.

6 small round potatoes

salt & pepper to taste

2-3 TBSP olive oil and/or melted butter

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp hot chili oil, or to taste

1 tsp rosemary

1 TBSP parsley

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219*C.

Thoroughly wash and pat dry the potatoes with a paper towel. Then slice the potatoes in thin slices, without cutting all the way trough them. Place them in an oiled baking dish and gently fan the potatoes out. No problem if they break apart. Just keep them together as best as you can.

Combine all the rest of the ingredients together and thoroughly coat the potatoes with the sauce using a pastry brush. Make sure to really get in between all the potato slices too, to make them really flavorful. This will also help them keep their shape.

Bake for about 40 minutes or so, or until the tops are crispy and golden brown and the insides are soft and tender. Baste the potatoes every 10 minutes or so with the liquid. This will help make them crispy on top and will also help with the browning.

Top with more parsley before serving. Serve immediately. These are best when served very hot, straight out of the oven. They will be crispy and velvety all in one bite. Each bite will be a little bit of Heaven in your mouth. Delicious! You can serve these alongside any dish you like, or just enjoy them on their own. Either way, I promise you are going to love them.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.