The sweet potato is one of the most iconic Southern vegetables. It thrives in our climate, stores well over the winter months, and is highly nutritious. I used to think I didn’t like sweet potatoes, because they were so sweet; then, I realized it wasn’t the vegetable I didn’t care for — it was the copious amounts of sugar typically heaped upon them in the holiday classic dish candied yams.
Leave the brown sugar and marshmallows off, and put your knife skills to work with a technique known as hasselback. The name comes from Hasselbacken, a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, where the recipe was introduced. Typically, white potatoes, such as Yukon golds or russets, are used, but we’re going full-on fall by using sweet potatoes. Hasselback potatoes have the crispy edges of fried potatoes, but with a creamy mashed-style middle — the best of both worlds. And, despite their name and fancy appearance, they take no more time, and little more effort, than a baked sweet potato.
It’s important to follow a few simple steps: Slice straight down into the sweet potato, but stop just short of cutting all the way through. To achieve this, place two wooden chopsticks or wooden spoons on either side of the sweet potato to use as a guide, so you don’t slice all the way through. Aim for slices that are between ¼-inch and ⅛-inch thick.
Top with this savory orange herb butter, or other toppings, such as butter, cane syrup or Sriracha.
You’ll love this kitchen technique any way you slice it.
Virginia Willis is an Atlanta-based Food Network Kitchen chef, James Beard Award-winning food writer and author of seven cookbooks. Follow her at virginiawillis.com.
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