Hasselbackpotatis

 

To serve 6:

 

6 baking potatoes, about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide

1 tablespoon soft butter

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated imported Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the potatoes and drop them into a bowl of cold water to prevent them from discolouring. Place one potato at a time on a wooden spoon large enough to cradle it comfortably, and beginning at about 1/2 inch from the end, slice down at 1/8-inch intervals:

 

 

The deep, curved bowl of the spoon will prevent the knife from slicing completely through the potato. Drop each semi-sliced potato back into the cold water.

 

When you are ready to roast them, drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels. With a pastry brush or paper towels, generously butter a baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes side-by-side in one layer and arrange them in it cut-side-up. Baste the potatoes with 1.5 tablespoons of the melted butter, sprinkle them liberally with salt, and set them  in the cente eof the oven. After 30 minutes, sprinkle a few of the bread crumbs over the surface of each potato, baste with the remaining butter and the butter in the pan, and continue to roast the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and show no resistance when pierced with the top of a sharp knife. If you wish to use the cheese, it should be strewn over the potatoes 5 minutes before they are done.