Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

To slice, place each potato on a large serving spoon or between two chopsticks; this trick helps prevent you from cutting all the way through. Using a very sharp knife, make incisions about 2mm apart, going almost to the bottom but keeping the base intact so the potato stays together.

Season the sliced potatoes all over with salt and pepper.

Heat an ovenproof tray on the hob over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tbsp butter with 4 tbsp oil in the hot tray. Once shimmering, add the potatoes, sliced side down.

Fry for about 1 minute until they start to brown, then turn them over. Baste them with the hot oil and butter from the tray, then transfer the tray to an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Bake the potatoes for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until the layers begin to fan out and the edges look crispy.

While they bake, mix fresh minced herbs (rosemary is a particularly good choice here) into 2 tbsp softened butter. After the first stage of baking, pull the potatoes out and baste them generously with the herby butter. Return them to the oven for another 10–20 minutes, again depending on size, until they're tender all the way through — you can check by gently squashing one or pricking it with a sharp knife. Serve immediately.