Hasselback Potatoes with Macadamia Nut Pesto
Ingredients
2 medium Idaho potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
truffle salt, to taste
2 tablespoons of European style butter
2 tablespoons of homemade pesto or store-bought pesto
Preparation
1
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2
Wash and scrub the potatoes, and dry them thoroughly.
3
There's a lot of different ways to cut the characteristic Hasselback slits into the potatoes, I use a plastic lid from a food storage container. Lay the potato next to it, and the knife will hit the plastic before you can fully cut through the potato.
4
Place the potatoes into a bowl with cold water, to rinse away the excess starch. Be sure to gently separate the petals to allow the water to wash away all the excess starch between them.
5
Dry the potatoes, then tuck the sliced garlic and chopped herbs between the petals, distributing them evenly.
6
Liberally salt the potatoes with the truffle salt, making sure to tuck some into the layers.
7
Place the potatoes into a baking sheet, and dab them with a pat of butter. I like creating aluminum foil nests for the potatoes to cook in, this helps contain the melted butter, and making basting them a breeze.
8
Bake the potatoes for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the melted butter to get them extra crispy.
9
Top each potato with a tablespoon of the pesto, and serve hot.
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About
Hasselback potatoes are a thing of beauty, the accordian-like slices create a contrast of textures – you get crispy edges and a soft, pillowy interior, which to me, equals bliss. Plus, these little pockets are perfect to stuff with delicious things like herbs and butter. I doll these babies up with French butter, shaved garlic, truffle salt, thyme, rosemary, and a verdent streak of Macadamia Nut Pesto. Feel free to use whatever herbs you have in your fridge or herb garden; this recipe is totally customizable to what’s available in your kitchen.
Yield:
2 servings
Added:
Monday, October 6, 2014 - 7:16pm
