Hassle Free Herby Hasselback Potatoes

These may be your new best friends. I'm never excited about a mound of potatoes to peel, chop and then boil and fiddle with after. But I love a crispy potato, and when I first saw these in an American magazine I knew they were the way forward. They are super stylish looking, taste amazing and entirely stress free, no peeling, no stirring just slice and away. Your Christmas table or any smart dinner will love them, as much as your kids will for tea after school. One trick ponies that work every time.

• 6 medium potatoes (approx 1 per person depending on size of potato and greed of guest!)
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp cold butter, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp parmesan optional

Place the potatoes on a chopping board with a chopstick either side (or other smallish, wooden cylinder) Slice each potato across, in 3-4 mm slices, until the knife hits the chopsticks, just before the bottom of the potato. This is a time saver and means you can slice fast without worrying about going all the way through. Place each potato onto a greaseproof paper-lined sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and sprinkle the thyme and garlic in between the slices and on top. Bake at 180 for 30 minutes then take out and place thin slices of cold butter into the leaves of the potatoes. Bake for a further 20-30 minutes until browned and crispy. (For an uber Hasselback sprinkle the parmesan in between the fanned slices 5 minutes before the end of cooking time).