The crispy baked sliced pieces of a Hasselback potato are always amazing. This Swedish preparation of a common baked potato is impressive and delicious as a main course or as a side.

You can create this same experience in small new potatoes and they are both addictive as well as they make an unusual and creative side for a casual dinner party. The key is to take your time and be patient making the slices so they are uniform and go straight down (or the slices will not stay attached).

To get a creamy interior and crispy exterior you also have to add a few cooking steps including parboiling the potatoes for about 5 minutes to soften them only a little, and then frying them twice at two different temperatures. Hold on – it is much easier than it sounds.

1 to 2 lbs new potatoes (I used small Yukon Gold potatoes)

kosher salt for the water

fleur de sel as a garnish

Heat a pot of salted water until it is at a rolling boil. Place the potatoes in the water and cook for about 5 minutes. They will only get slightly soft to the touch. Drain the potatoes and cool briefly under running water.

Using a paring knife, make vertical slices down the side of the potato starting at one end and progressing uniformly to the other. Be careful not to cut all the way through as the potatoes won’t stay together. Also, the slices need to be straight and vertical or you will lose the occasional piece. They are small, and it will take some practice. Again, be patient.

Begin to heat a large pot of oil. When the oil is about 180F, put the potatoes in and slowly cook them as the temperature begins to raise to 320F. This should take about 10 minutes or so. When the temperature reaches 320F remove the potatoes to a wire rack and let them cool.

When you are ready to serve, heat the oil to 375F and cook the potatoes for 1 to 3 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain them again on a wire rack, dust with fleur de sel, and serve immediately.

Note: I like using fleur de sel here because it has just the right size grains of salt to get in the grooves of the potatoes, but feel free to use kosher salt if that is available.

#hasselback #potatoes #newpotatoes #deepfry