Chopsticks Are Your Secret Weapon For Perfect Hasselback Potatoes

Potatoes are some of the world's most versatile vegetables, gifting us a long list of mouthwatering snacks and side dishes (french fries and mashed potatoes, looking at you). And there's something particularly satisfying about biting into a crunchy roast spud, which is where hasselback potatoes come in. This famously crispy variation involves cutting slits along the length of the potato, almost the entire way through, to create a unique, fan-like shape, then baking it cut side up, at a high heat. Using this technique creates a greater surface area for oil and other ingredients to be absorbed, resulting in a spud that's deliciously crunchy on the outside, and delightfully fluffy on the inside.

Slicing spuds in this manner isn't always an easy task, however. Their rounded shape can make them difficult to hold, increasing your risk of injury; while it can also be difficult to gauge how deep to actually cut. Fear not, because you have an ally waiting in your kitchen drawer that's about to make this process quick, easy, and most importantly, injury-free (and, by the way, is favored by top foodies like Ree Drummond). That ally is a pair of plain old chopsticks, which you can simply place on either side of the potato before slicing, slowly, at regular intervals (about every half a centimeter) with a small, sharp paring knife. Not only will this hold the potato steady, it will stop you from cutting all the way through. Hassle-free hasselback potatoes, here we come.

Now that you've mastered the art of slicing your spuds, you can move on to the fun part — adding flavor. You can infuse the potatoes with ingredients as they cook, or add them at the end as a garnish (a bit like you would with a baked potato). You might even like to add a dipping sauce, for peak hasselback-eating pleasure.

If you're stuck for inspiration, take a leaf out of Jamie Oliver's book. In a video for his YouTube channel, the beloved chef can be seen coating hasselback potatoes in a mixture of fresh thyme, salt, and fat ("that could be butter, turkey drippings, or olive oil" he explains in the video) prior to baking. He then adds a mixture of roasted hazelnuts, thyme, bread, and blue cheese, which has been processed to a crumb-like consistency — part way through the cooking process, as a textural element. It's also worth noting that Oliver uses the hasselback technique on other root vegetables, including parsnips and carrots.

Ree Drummond, on the other hand, takes a more simple approach to her hasselback potatoes, favoring a mixture of olive oil, butter, chives, and salt and pepper; while Rachael Ray dresses hers up with colby or cheddar cheese tucked into each of the slits along with cooked, chopped bacon as a garnish. Whatever route you choose, it's time to crank out the chopsticks and get cutting — deliciously crunchy, delightfully fluffy hasselback potatoes are waiting for you, just around the corner.