Food

The secret to crispy and fluffy potatoes? Hasselbacks

Hasselback potatoes are an easy, fun way of having your spuds and eating them too

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Lilly Higgins
Wed Jan 10 2018 - 06:00

Can’t decide if you’ll have crispy roast potatoes or fluffy baked potatoes? Make hasselbacks! These Smokey Paprika Hasselbacks to be precise. This dish has basically got it all. The kale and coriander pesto will give you your daily greens boost and a burst of citrus from the lime. By keeping the skins on, the potatoes will still have all of those fantastic nutrients. Potatoes are a great source of potassium and fibre, as well as being low in sugar. I’ve added Greek yogurt for a bit of protein and the avocado for lots of good fats making this the perfect complete meal.

The beauty of slicing the potatoes in this hasselback style is that the thin layers ensure they cook quickly and dinner can be on the table.  You can make so many variations of this dish. I’ve used smokey paprika here but you can use regular olive oil or different spices like garam masala or cumin. You could also stuff all sorts of delicious things between those slices like grated cheese or chorizo then return them to the oven for a further few minutes to melt. They’re extremely versatile so there’s plenty of opportunity  to be adventurous. My kids love these “hedgehog” potatoes and peel off each crispy slice one by one. They’re fun to make and fun to eat. I place the potatoes on a wooden spoon to slice them, ensuring that I don’t cut all the way through. It really speeds up the process.

This dinner is perfect mid week when everyone is hungry, it also happens to be vegetarian.  Use coconut or soya yogurt to make this a vegan main course. The pesto is really delicious and I often make a big batch for dipping raw vegetables or even drizzling on nachos or chili con carne. It’s full of flavour and the perfect way to get more raw greens into your diet.

Smokey paprika hasselback potatoes with kale & coriander pesto

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Serves 4

8 medium potatoes (Kerr’s Pink, Maris Piper or Rooster)

2 tsp. sweet smoked paprika

1 tbsp. olive oil

Sea Salt

2 avocados

2 limes

25g coriander, stems removed

1 large handful of curly kale, stems removed

100ml olive oil

1 clove garlic

180ml Greek yoghurt

To serve, lime wedges, coriander leaves, ½ small red onion, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 200C. First prepare the potatoes. Scrub each one if necessary then dry. Place on a wooden spoon and carefully cut slits down with a sharp knife as if slicing the potato but stop before you cut it fully (see photo above). The wooden spoon will help as a guide, preventing you from cutting through. Repeat with each potato. Mix the paprika and olive oil in a small bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Brush the potatoes with the paprika oil and place on a tray in the oven for 20 mins. Remove and brush with the remainder of the paprika oil then roast for a further 10 minutes till crisp and cooked through.

While the potatoes are cooking make the pesto. Tear the kale into pieces and place in a blender or food processor with the coriander leaves, garlic and a pinch of sea salt. Blend to break them down and then add the oil and the juice of ½ lime. Blend till fully smooth. I use a nutribullet for this but any strong blender or processor will work.

Slice the avocados and divide among four plates, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a generous spoon of the kale pesto. Scatter with diced red onion and a few more coriander leaves. Place two potatoes on each plate and enjoy right away