Dear Sweden. Dear Canada. We need to talk.
Just when I thought that my love of poutine could not become greater, the mini-hasselback potato, affectionately known as a hasseltot came into the picture and stole my heart. You are delicious. You are divine. You are just the right combination of baby potatoes, bathed in olive oil and herbs, lush and hearty gravy and those melty ooey-gooey cheese curds. Food of the gods from two of the best countries.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is a cheese coma nap to attend to.
Ingredients
For the hasseltots
1 to 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes or small fingerlings potatoes
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
for the gravy
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
20 oz low sodium beef broth
10 oz low sodium chicken broth
Salt and Pepper, to taste
for the poutine
1 to 1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese curds, room temperature (Or torn chunks of mozzarella cheese would be the closest substitution)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs or finely minced scallions
Directions
Heat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Wash and dry the potatoes: After washing, dry the potatoes as much as possible or leave them sitting out on the towel for a few minutes; the drier they are, the more crispy they get in the oven.
Slice each potato like an accordion. Slice a thin layer off the bottom of each potato. This will serve to give them a solid base to rest on while they get sliced. On either side of the potato on the cutting board, lay a chop stick length-wise, parallel to the potato. This will ensure that you don’t cut all the way through the potato. Using a sharp knife, make thin slices across the potato, about 1/8 of an inch apart, slicing into them, but not completely through them. The slices should stay connected at the bottom. Repeat with each tiny potato. Stretch them a bit to fan them out but be very careful not to break them apart.
Toss the potatoes with olive oil and salt: Drizzle two teaspoons of the olive oil over the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt. Use your hands or a spatula to mix until the potatoes are all evenly coated. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven to roast for 15 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, the accordion slices in the potatoes will start to open up. Toss with the remaining two teaspoons of olive oil so that now some oil can get into the slices. Roast another 12 to 15 minutes: Continue roasting the potatoes until they are deeply golden and as crispy as you like them. Cool briefly and then eat while warm and crispy.
Meanwhile, make your gravy. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water to make a slurry and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown. Add the beef and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in about half of the cornstarch mixture and simmer for a minute or so. If you’d like your gravy thicker, add a more of the cornstarch mixture, in small increments, as needed, to thicken. Season with pepper. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary, to taste. Make ahead and re-warm or keep warm until your tots are ready.
To assemble, place the hasseltots into a large work bowl. Add a ladle of hot poutine gravy to the bowl and using tongs, toss the fries in the gravy. Add more gravy, as needed to mostly coat the fries. Add the cheese curds and toss with the hot fries and gravy. Serve with freshly ground pepper and garnish with fresh herbs and/or minced scallions. Serve immediately.
