HASSELBACK POTATO RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Use a metal skewer and insert through the back of one of the flatter sides of the potato. It should go through most of the potato. Place on a chopping board, skewer-side down, and slice through the potato (be careful not to cut all the way through on both ends). You can also put each potato in-between two handles of wooden spoons, and cut through to the spoon, if this is easier for you. A sharp knife will help to make slices a few mm apart. Remove the skewer and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
• Put the potatoes cut-side up on a shallow baking tray and drizzle over the oil. Rub each potato with your hands to coat well in the oil, getting some in between the slices. Toss in the bashed garlic, rosemary, and season well. Roast for 50 mins – 1 hr until the potatoes are tender throughout and the tops are golden and crisp. Baste with any oil in the pan halfway cooking to get extra crisp potatoes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut thin slices lengthwise from bottoms of sweet potatoes to allow them to lie flat; discard slices. Place potatoes flat side down; cut crosswise into 1/8-in. slices, leaving them intact at bottom. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan., In a small bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Spoon half the butter mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine cream cheese, dates and sage; spread between potato slices., Bake, covered, until potatoes are just becoming tender, 45-50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and uncover; spoon the remaining butter mixture over potatoes and top with pecans. Return to oven and bake until potatoes are completely tender and topping is golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer. If desired, serve with additional chopped sage.