Garlicy, Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C/Gas Mark 5.

2. Melt the butter and then mix well with the crushed garlic and salt then set aside.

3. To make the hasselback cuts in the potatoes: slice a thin lengthways piece off each potato. This will stablise them. On a chopping board place a chopstick on either long side of the potato, so the chopsticks are pointing left to right rather than up and down. This will enable you to make cuts along the length of the potato without chopping right the way through. Cutting the slices very thinly will give you very pretty, crispy potatoes but it’s a bit tricky. Cutting the slices so they are a little thicker will make it easier to add the cheese into the slices.

4. Once the potatoes are sliced, put them on a baking tray with a raised edge and brush them all over with the garlicy melted butter. Try to make the butter go into all the cuts in the potatoes.

5. Pop in the oven for 45 minutes, making sure to baste with the butter every 15 minutes or so.

6. Take the potatoes from the oven after 45 minutes. The gaps between the slices will have become wider in the cooking process. Take the sliced cheese and interleave it with the potato slices, then put them back in the oven for twenty minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potato is tender all the way through.

7. To serve, top with the crispy bacon, sour cream, and spring onions. Scattering with fragrant coriander and serving the salsa on the side.

You can be creative with the hasselback potatoes – for example try replacing the cheese with smoked salmon and topping with scrambled eggs, parsley and crème fraiche to serve.

What you will need