Accordion Potatoes

"These are so stinkin' cute!"

That was my wife's reaction to these.  I asked if she could make them herself, and she told me while she could ... she preferred if I would make them.  In fact, she said she prefers if I do the cooking.  Good thing I like to.

While I was slicing these up I remembered my mom commenting that she doesn't understand why I like cooking.  I told my doctor that cooking was a hobby, and he looked at me like I just told him doing laundry was a hobby.  For some people it's a chore.  And meticulously slicing baked potatoes for this cutesy little presentation would probably rank right up there with using tweezers to clean your carpet.

But if you're willing to put in about 5 extra minutes of work, these will surely impress any party guests.

It starts simply enough with some Yukon Gold or Baby Red potatoes.  You could use a regular Russet potato, but these smaller ones can be a little more tender and lend themselves to a the cutesy presentation.

Make sure your knife is sharp.  Most chefs on TV sharpen their knives before each competition/exhibition. It will help you slice more easily, and prevent bruising of things like herbs or cherry tomatoes.

Then carefully slice through 90% of the potato, while keeping the bottom untouched.

Place them on a microwave safe dish, cover with wax paper, and microwave them for about 10-12 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  I used a toaster oven because it was crazy hot & humid yesterday and I didn't want to turn on the real oven for something this small.

Salt, pepper, and olive oil is all you will need initially.

I like to use our pump spray and liberally spray all the sliced spuds.  If you don't have an oil sprayer, just carefully drizzle olive oil over them.  You want to get it down inside the slices.  Then sprinkle with salt & pepper and throw into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

I used fresh thyme, parsley, and rosemary from our herb garden.  The recipe I was using didn't call for rosemary -- but I think it goes really well with potatoes.

With a few minutes of baking remaining, pull the potatoes out of the oven and sprinkle them with your finely chopped herbs.  Toss them back in the oven for a couple minutes.

These were super tender, and well-seasoned, fancy versions of a classic baked potato.  The bottom held together really nicely, and even got a little crispy like a chip or French fry.  I think they were really cool, and I'm glad I put in a little extra time to make them for The Mrs.