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Hasselback potatoes with roast garlic & rosemary
An alternative to a standard roastie. Hasselback potatoes are a pain to prep, but the crispy, comb-like edges are worth all the effort. Two bulbs of garlic look like a heroic amount, but roasting them takes away the pungency and renders them sweet, sticky and savoury.
Ingredients
- 2 garlic bulbs
- salt and pepper
- 1kg small/medium potatoes
- 50/50 mix of olive oil and sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Cut the top centimetre from each bulb of garlic, and sit them on a square of foil. Cover with a slug of oil and a pinch of salt. Add a dash of water. Bring the sides of the foil up into a tight parcel. Place in the oven and bake for 30-45 mins, or until the flesh is soft and turning golden brown. When they are ready, remove the bulbs from the foil and leave to cool. They should be done before the potatoes are ready.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, thinly slice each potato without cutting all the way through. You could try to do it by eye, but a better trick is to lay the handle of a wooden spoon next to the potato to stop the knife cutting down to the board.
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Step 3
Place the potatoes in a roasting tray. Toss in plenty of oil, salt and pepper. Roast them, sliced side up, for 30 mins.
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Step 4
Remove from the oven and use a pastry brush to baste them with the hot oil from the bottom of the tray. Return to the oven for 20 mins, until completely tender in the middle.
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Step 5
While the potatoes are finishing, squeeze the soft flesh from the garlic skins, like squeezing toothpaste, a strangely enjoyable task. You'll end up with a sweet, sticky garlic purée. Mix it with the rosemary.
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Step 6
When the potatoes are ready, use the pastry brush to brush the potatoes with the garlic and rosemary. Try to work as much as you can into the slices. Return them to the oven for a final 5 mins. Serve immediately.