I was just reading about the history of the Incas. Odd? Not really, I have been looking at the origin histories of the Western Hemisphere cultures. Keeps the brain gears turning.
In looking at the Inca history, the matter of indigenous foods came up and I was reminded that the potato is a "New world" discovery and one of the main staples of that civilisation.
The Incas grew over 200 varieties of potato, a food unknown outside South America until the arrival of the Spanish. The Incas freeze-dried potatoes to make a long-lasting food known as chuño. They simply left sliced potatoes out in the cold and dry Andean mountain air and rehydrated them as needed.
Initially the Spaniards were very cautious about eating the potato as it was determined to be in the nightshade family. Some varieties of nightshades contain an alkaloid poison (not potatoes)!
One of my favorite potato preparation is the Hasselback potato. Hasselback Potatoes are not a type of potato, but a Swedish potato preparation which got its name from the restaurant, Hasselbacken in Stockholm where they were first served in the 1940s. They are also known as Accordion Potato because of the way they are cut which resemble a fan or accordion with the bottom still attached when roasted. Once roasted, the potatoes crisp up on the outside but are tender and creamy on the inside.
I like to place blades of sage between the slices. Here is a detailed blog all about sage from Happy DYI Home. (Click here) Some 23 varieties of sage are detailed.
Select uniformly shaped potatoes. I like to use Yukon Gold or Washington Long Whites potato varieties.
Preheat oven to 400°. Peel potatoes, then use peeler to shave off some flesh as needed to give potatoes a smooth, rounded egg shape.
Cut potatoes crosswise into thin slices, stopping ¼” before cutting all the way through. Placing chopsticks on either side of the potatoes helps to guide the slicing. Also, you can use a special tool designed to guide in cutting the potatoes.
Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and gently press down on them to fan slices in one direction.Brush potatoes all over with melted butter. Tuck 2 sage leaves into each potato; season with salt. Roast potatoes, brushing occasionally with more butter, until fork-tender, golden brown, and crisp, 25–30 minutes.
This potato dish goes great with many dishes such as Grilled NY steak, BBQ Spiced Salmon, or Braised Short Ribs.
