Hasselback Potatoes

Swedish Hasselback Potatoes look like a work of art and, when baked with this delicious lemon, garlic dijon vinaigrette, they are as tasty as they are beautiful!

I've always been attracted to Hasselback potatoes but never made them or knew much about them until now.  I think potatoes are irresistible in almost any form - baked, mashed, roasted, french fried...  but there is something about Hasselbacks that grab the eye - they look like a work of art - an exotic caterpillar - an accordion.

I came across Hasselbacks again last week, as I was doing some research about Swedish cuisine for Panning The Globe. Turns out they were invented in the 1940s by a Stockholm restaurant called Hasselbacken.  I decided it was time to give them try.

How To Make Hasselback Potatoes

They key to making Hasselback Potatoes is to cut lots of slices across the whole length of a potato, while also leaving enough of the potato intact at the bottom, to hold the potato together. Here's how to do that:

• Place two chopsticks or spatulas side by side on a cutting board.
• Place a potato between them.
• Cut across the potato, creating ¼-inch slices.
• The wooden chopsticks or spatulas will stop the knife from slicing all the way through the potato.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the potatoes

The Best Hasselback Potatoes

The traditional Swedish hasselback potatoes recipe calls for rubbing the potatoes with butter before baking, and then adding bread crumbs and more butter towards the end of cooking. I followed this method and, while the Hasselbacks looked gorgeous, the flavor didn't match the excitement of the presentation, and they're too pretty to mash up with butter, sour cream and salt.

I was determined to get these amazing-looking potatoes to live up to their appearance.

One of my secret weapons in cooking is my lemon dijon dressing. When in doubt, I marinate with it or pour it over things, and it always does its magic. I decided to try it out on hasselbacks.

I added a bit more garlic than usual and tossed the potatoes in the dressing before baking. Once the slits started fanning out, I added a bit more dressing. For the final dressing, I added chopped parsley and lemon zest, which I spooned over the potatoes before serving.

Crispy, Creamy, Delicious Hasselbacks!

I was extremely happy with the outcome.  They were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, and had tons of zesty flavor from the dressing. And they were so pretty I couldn't stop photographing them!

How To Serve Hasselback Potatoes

I love making these festive potatoes for holidays, dinner parties and family gatherings. They always make the meal feel special. Serve them on the side with roast chicken, steak, brisket, or your favorite main dish. They go with everything and will add excitement to any meal.

You might also like this recipe for Mini Inside-Out Hasselbacks and these Holiday Hasselbacks (with shallot-chive butter).

Other Delicious Scandinavian Recipes to try:

•Swedish Glögg: Hot spiced mulled wine.
• Dutch Stamppot: Smoky Sausages with Kale Mashed Potatoes
•Nordic Haddock on Shredded Vegetables with Almond Gremolata
• Danish Aebleskivers: Pancake Balls

If you try this Hasselback Potatoes Recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think! 

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