GIANT HASSELBACK BAKED POTATOES

“HASSELBACK potatoes are a great dish to serve because they have that wow factor when you take them out of the oven, with the thin scored slices crisping as you roast them and giving the potatoes almost a hedgehog effect when they are done,” says Hannah. “These giant versions are even more fun as you can stuff between the slices using any fillings you like really – I have used mozzarella and tomato and sage and bacon, but the possibilities are endless – garlic butter, pesto and sundried tomatoes, blue cheese and walnut. Be as creative as you wish!” INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

4 large baking potatoes

1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For filling option 1:

1 ball mozzarella cheese 1 large tomato

For filling option 2:

2 slices smoked back bacon Handful of sage leaves

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F) Gas 6.

2. To prepare the potatoes, place

chopsticks or two wooden spoon handles along the long sides of one of the potatoes. On a chopping board, carefully cut very thin slices in the potato, cutting only as far as the wooden handles/chopsticks so the bottom of the potato remains intact. Rub all of the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt.

3. Place in a roasting pan and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Depending on which filling you are using, cut the mozzarella and tomato or bacon and sage

leaves into thin slices and place alternating pieces of each between the slices in the potatoes.

5. Depending on how thin you have cut your slices, you may find it easiest to insert filling every second slice rather than in between each slice.

6. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes. Serve straight away.