#190 Hasselback Swedish Sweet Potatoes

It takes only a few kitchen essentials to make these fancy Swedish style potatoes.You'll see why Good Housekeeping calls them 'Accordian Potatoes' with the way they look!!  Appearances can be deceptive and these could look like a lot of work, but actually it was a lot of fun.  Originally the potatoes were served in Hasselbacken, a restaurant in Stockholm. The gorgeous arrangement became a crowd pleaser and soon became well-liked by restaurant clientele. This is where the name Hasselback was born...

My twist with Sweet Potatoes is a variation from the original Hasselback Potatoes with a touch of sweet and spicy melted butter. I am surprised why this creamy flavorful 'hot potato' didn't make its appearance at my dinner table more often? I had to make one of the original Hasselback to compare the differences in flavor. They make a pretty picture too, because of the series of thin parallel cuts that run almost through the whole potato, allowing the melted butter to penetrate into the crevices and crisp up the exposed edges to perfection.

Ingredients:
4 Sweet potatoes or 1 Russet Potato
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 tspn brown sugar
3 tablespoons Paprika
1 Tblspn fine dry bread crumbs and 1 tspn Orange rind
Special equipment: 2 wooden chopsticks and parchment paper
 To season the Russet potato mix together 1 Tablespoon Olive oil, salt, black pepper, lemon juice- 1/2tspn and 1/2 tspn dried basil. Pour over before baking. You have a sweet potato with orange flavors but the savory Russet potato with basil and olive oil.

How to:
•Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

•Peel potatoes, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as peeled (to prevent browning). Working with 1 potato at a time, cut a thin sliver lengthwise from 1 side of potato with a sharp paring knife to make it stand flat on a cutting board, if necessary. Lay chopsticks or spoons parallel to each other on cutting board and arrange potato lengthwise between them. Holding chopsticks against potato, make crosswise cuts,

1/8 inch apart, down to chopsticks (do not cut all the way down to chopsticks on narrow ends of potato or slices will fall off). Drop potato back into water after cutting.

•Line bottom of a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) with parchment, then butter parchment. Drain potatoes and pat dry. Brush potatoes all over with 2 tablespoons butter (total), then arrange in baking pan and
sprinkle with salt. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake potatoes until just tender, 40 to 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake until tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
•Preheat broiler.
•Brush potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and broil about 5 inches from heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and serve immediately.