I saw these made by the lovely Nigella several years ago. When the boys were younger I would plunk down on the sofa with a warm cup of tea and fold laundry while simultaneously watching food tv. It was relaxing multitasking at it's best, as one child napped and the other was off enjoying his first year of public education.
Somehow, over all the years that have passed since then, I forgot about these simple yet sophisticated tubers. Seriously, when you want to impress your guests, but are short on time or energy, these simple potatoes can elevate any dinner to something a little more special. But they also work great for a simple family dinner of barbecued chicken and grilled asparagus, which is how we enjoyed them.
Do you enjoy Nigella? I adored her shows and have yet to make one of her recipes that I didn't enjoy.
Hasselback Potatoes, adapted from Nigella Lawson
- 10 medium oval-shaped new potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea Salt
- 3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put each potato in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in an egg-spoon race, and cut across at about 1/2-inch intervals.
Put cut potatoes on the baking pan on the stove with the butter, oil and basil and heat till melted and sizzling.
Turn potatoes well, putting them in cut-side down first, then right side up, and spoon the fat over them. Be sure all sides are well coated.
Sprinkle each potato well with salt and bake for approx. 40 minutes.
Your potatoes look lovely, I wil have to give them a try. I am a big fan of Nigella. You can tell she really enjoys her recipes. Thanks for the comment on my Duck post, turned out not bad for a first time effort.
Posted by: Allison | 06/22/2010 at 01:31 PM