Hasselback potatoes roasted in goose fat are a delightful addition to a Victorian Christmas dinner feast, capturing the essence of Victorian elegance with a modern twist!
For the Cratchit family Christmas dinner, there would have certainly been at least one potato side dish. Affordable and readily available, potatoes were a staple for most families in Victorian England. The Cratchit family would have been able to take the humble potato and make good use of it as a side dish to the spectacular roast goose prepared by Mrs. Cratchit.
The hasselback style adds a modern twist on an old English classic. Potatoes roasted in duck or goose fat are a favourite side for any roast dinner. The abundance of golden goose fat rendered from Mrs. Cratchit’s roast goose are put to excellent use in these crispy roasted hasselback potatoes.
Ingredients
Potatoes: Hasselback potatoes can be made with any type of potato you like. I find russets and yellow-flesh potatoes work the best. My preference here is Yukon Gold’s which become incredibly tender and creamy after roasting. Russets will be soft and a little fluffy inside.
Goose fat: With such a simple preparation, the choice of cooking fat is a great opportunity to add an extra dimension of flavour. Here I have used goose fat, but duck fat is a great alternative. I like to serve these potatoes alongside a roasted goose to make use of all that delicious rendered fat. Alternatively, you can use olive oil.
How to Make Goose Fat Hasselback Potatoes
Prep the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes but do not peel. Place a wooden spoon on either side of each potato. Use a sharp knife to make 1/4 inch slices along the whole potato – the wooden spoon handles will prevent you from cutting all the way through. You will need to make shallow slices at the ends of each potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Place the potatoes with the cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with the melted goose fat. Use your fingers to gently separate the slices to allow a little of the fat to drip between the layers. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt.
Roast the potatoes
Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes. Take the potatoes out and drizzle the slices with a little more of the goose fat. If there is extra fat on the baking sheet, you can use that to spoon over the potatoes, or else add a bit more.
Continue roasting the potatoes until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, another 30 to 40 minutes as needed. If the potatoes are still hard inside, continue roasting until they are tender. Baste with the goose fat once or twice more if desired.
Season with a bit more kosher salt if desired and enjoy!
More Recipes from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
- Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy
- Baked Oysters with Vermouth Cream
- Brandied Cherry and Apple Stuffing
- Scrooge’s Gruel: Oatmeal with Honey Spiced Pears
- Mulled Wine Braised Red Cabbage
- Smoking Bishop
- Traditional Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce
Hasselback Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 potatoes such as Yukon Gold or russet
- ½ cup goose or duck fat
- kosher salt as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes but do not peel. Place a wooden spoon on either side of each potato. Use a sharp knife to make 1/4 inch slices along the whole potato - the wooden spoon handles will prevent you from cutting all the way through. You will need to make shallow slices at the ends of each potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
- Place the potatoes with the cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with the melted goose fat. Use your fingers to gently separate the slices to allow a little of the fat to drip between the layers. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt.
- Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes. Take the potatoes out and drizzle the slices with a little more of the goose fat. If there is extra fat on the baking sheet, you can use that to spoon over the potatoes, or else add a bit more.
- Continue roasting the potatoes until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, another 30 to 40 minutes as needed. If the potatoes are still hard inside, continue roasting until they are tender. Baste with the goose fat once or twice more if desired.
- Season with a bit more kosher salt if desired and enjoy!