Garlic - Thyme Hasselback Potatoes

These flavorful Hasselback Potatoes are a tasty vegan and gluten-free side dish. Although they may look quite difficult to make, the technique is simple; you cut slits across the potatoes being careful not to cut all the way through. You butter them generously, and you roast them in the oven until they become golden brown. I tried to mimic that rich flavor that butter gives to the dish and I placed some garlic and thyme between the potato slices. To make them vegan, instead of melted butter I used some good quality olive oil. The result was both impressive and delicious!

The recipe:

www.vespresso.cooking/en/hasselback-potatoes

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 8 medium red skin potatoes - the potatoes should be about the same size (I used new potatoes)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• ½ tsp sea salt (plus one extra Tbsp for peeling the potatoes - if you use new potatoes)
• ¼ tsp pepper

Tools:

• a vegetable knife
• a sharp chef's knife
• a cutting board
• a large spoon
• a paper towel roll
• parchment paper
• a tray

Abbreviations:

• tsp = teaspoon
• Tbsp = tablespoon

Preheat the oven at 220°C / 425°F (gas mark 7).

Wash the potatoes and drain them. Sprinkle the potatoes with coarse salt and leave them on the counter for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, scrape their peel using a vegetable knife. Wash them again and pat them dry with a paper towel.

The potatoes will fan out as they bake so in order for this to happen, you must be careful not to cut the potatoes all the way through. To make my work easier, for this step I like to use a large spoon and a paper roll. The spoon will stop you from cutting the potato all the way through and the paper roll will give you stability.

Place one potato on a large tablespoon. Rest the handler on a paper towel roll (picture above). If your cutting board feels slippery, place a wet paper towel under the spoon.

Using a sharp knife, cut the potato into thin slices (about 3 mm thick). The edges of the spoon will stop you from slicing the potato all the way through.

Proceed the same until all the potatoes are cut.

Wash them again and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Wash the thyme and pat it dry. If you don't like thyme, you can use rosemary, basil, or tarragon. Strip the leaves off the stem.

Peel the garlic cloves. Chop them into very thin slices.

Take each potato and place about 5 garlic slices and 5 thyme leaves between every other slit of each potato. If you like the garlic flavor, you can place a thin slice of garlic in each slit.

Take a tray (I used a round ceramic one) and line it with a square of parchment paper. Place the potatoes in the tray.

Drizzle them with good quality olive oil (I used about 3 Tbsp). Brush the olive oil generously over the potatoes and in the cuts.

Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake until the potatoes are golden brown (50 – 60 minutes). The baking time depends on the size of the potatoes.

They are ready when they are soft in the middle if pierced with a knife.

I like to serve them hot with cold sauces, such as garlic, tomato or avocado sauce.