Hasselback potatoes and cream of mushroom soup with garam masala

When we talk about food, we don’t always make a direct reference to flavors that have impressed us. Many times the common denominator of a conversation of this type arises from how a certain dish calms a sensation, revives a memory or accompanies a way of feeling. There are flavors and aromas that take us to certain days, with their characteristic rains, their sweltering heat, discussions, laughter and textures. This, for me, is one of those dishes.

Let’s focus: the configuration of this dish has no complication beyond the technique of cutting the potato. Thanks to this type of cut, we increase the surface that we can season, thus improving the flavor and also the texture. When roasted, the thin sheets that we have created will be crispy and will perfectly accompany the cream. The ingredients, as always, tend to be indicative: if you can’t find sage anywhere, use rosemary; the choice of mushrooms for the cream is entirely yours, although my recommendation would be to follow this recipe.

The non-negotiable, of course, is the garam masala: this is a spice blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and black pepper. If you can’t find a preparation, you can make it at home by mixing the different ingredients. Having said that, all that remains is to present the dish in an attractive way, for which you can always use the joker of adding a little grated Parmesan and a few more herbs.

Difficulty

You have to be a little careful when cutting the potato.

Ingredients

for 4 people

for the cream

• 250 g mushrooms (portobello, white mushroom, shiitake or mix)
• 2 celery sticks
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8 sage leaves
• 400 ml of cream
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 and a half teaspoons of garam masala
• 1 generous tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste

For the hasselback potatoes

For 2 persons

• 800 g approximately microwaveable baby potatoes
• 1.5 tablespoons paprika (sweet or spicy)
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1.5 tablespoons oregano
• 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter. Add the sage leaves to flavor the fat and remove them when they are golden.

2. Add the chopped mushrooms, the chopped celery and the crushed and chopped garlic. Cook ten minutes or until softened.

3. Add the spices and sauté for another minute.

4. Add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a blender glass and blend. Reserve to heat when we are going to serve.

5. Place two separate chopsticks on the cutting board and the potato in the middle, so that when we cut the potato, the chopsticks prevent us from going all the way. Make cuts in all the potatoes as if they were an accordion.

6. Season with the spices, vinegar, olive oil and salt, mixing everything very well with your hands so that it penetrates between the cuts.

7. Bake at 170ºC with a fan until tender (15 – 20 minutes).

8. Raise the temperature to 220ºC so that they toast (about five minutes), and add more sage leaves to dry and use as decoration.

9. Remove from the oven and serve over the hot cream. We can add more sage leaves, more black pepper and a little grated Parmesan.

If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Defender of the Cook by sending an email to [email protected].