A Hasselback Version of a Xi’An Potato Dish
I was late to the hasselback potato party. I’d seen the idea on Pinterest somewhere a couple years ago, and kind of passed over it as one of those food trends that I probably wasn’t going to try anytime soon. Like cauliflower rice. Or smoothie bowls. (Not offend any cauliflower rice/smoothie bowl lovers who may be reading this!) But I was brainstorming recipe ideas last weekend, and my mind turned to a stir-fried potato dish that I had in Xi’An, China. I was at the night market with my parents, and the street food stalls were teeming with wonderful things to eat. Of course, everyone had their own individual niche items that they specialized in. For one guy, it was potatoes. Cooked with a mixture of chili flakes, cumin, and scallions, served in paper cups with a toothpick as a utensil. I’ve been wanting to recreate it for some time now, but then I remembered thinking, as I shared my cup o’ potatoes with my parents on the street, that what they lacked was a bit of crispiness.
Enter: the hasselback potato method.
What Are Hasselback Potatoes?
Essentially, all you have to do to make a hasselback potato is slice the potato very thinly. You don’t slice all the way through, so you end up with a fan of very thin slices, all still attached at the bottom. You brush the potatoes with oil and bake them in the oven. The result is an incredibly crispy spud, and you could certainly serve it just like that, seasoned with some salt and pepper. But going back to that awesome dish I had in Xi’An, I decided to sprinkle my hasselback potatoes with a mixture of crisp bacon (because why not?), scallions, and that ubiquitous Northern Chinese spice mix of cumin and chili. The result is a super simple dish that can be served as a fun fall side––and you could definitely serve these at Thanksgiving, if you’re looking for a change-up on the potato side of things. Here’s how to make them.
Recipe Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place each potato between the handles of 2 chopsticks or wooden spoons. Slice the potato into thin slices, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced (the chopsticks/spoon handles will prevent you from slicing the potato all the way through). Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush thoroughly with olive oil, making sure to get the oil in between all the potato layers. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
When the potatoes are almost done roasting (i.e. when there are about 10 minutes of roasting time left), sautée the bacon in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Lightly smash the cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle, and add to the bacon along with the red chili flakes and scallions.
Stir, remove from the heat, and sprinkle over the potatoes. Serve!
Recipe
Crispy Hasselback Potatoes with Spicy Bacon Scallion Relish
Hasselback potatoes with crisp bacon, scallions, Xi’an spice mix of cumin and chili is a great side dish. Hasselback potatoes = easy Thanksgiving side dish
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes (scrubbed)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 4 ounces bacon (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 scallions (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place each potato between the handles of 2 chopsticks or wooden spoons. Slice the potato into thin slices, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced (the chopsticks/spoon handles will prevent you from slicing the potato all the way through). Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush thoroughly with olive oil, making sure to get the oil in between all the potato layers. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- When the potatoes are almost done roasting (i.e. when there are about 10 minutes of roasting time left), sautee the bacon in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Lightly smash the cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle, and add to the bacon along with the chili flakes and scallions. Stir, remove from the heat, and sprinkle over the potatoes. Serve!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 333kcal (17%) Carbohydrates: 40g (13%) Protein: 7g (14%) Fat: 17g (26%) Saturated Fat: 4g (20%) Cholesterol: 12mg (4%) Sodium: 531mg (22%) Potassium: 961mg (27%) Fiber: 3g (12%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 150IU (3%) Vitamin C: 12.9mg (16%) Calcium: 40mg (4%) Iron: 2.7mg (15%)
