Flower Potatoes
Hasselback-style "flower" potatoes made in the air fryer — thin slices fan open like petals, crispy on the edges and soft in the center. Brushed with garlic-paprika butter, sprinkled with parmesan in the last three minutes. The chopstick trick creates perfect even cuts every time without slicing through, and soaking in cold water removes the starch so the petals separate and crisp up properly.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 30 gparmesan
- 1 tbspbutter
- fresh parsley
- to tastesalt
- to tasteblack pepper
Method
- Place each potato between two chopsticks or wooden spoon handles on the cutting board. Slice thin crosswise cuts about 2–3 mm apart — the chopsticks prevent the knife from going all the way through, leaving the bottom intact.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes — this removes surface starch so the "petals" don't stick together during cooking. Drain and pat very dry with paper towels.
- Gently fan out the cuts to open the "petals." Mix olive oil with melted butter, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Brush this mixture generously between and over the potato slices, working the seasoned oil into the cuts.
- Place potatoes in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 190°C (375°F) for 25 minutes, checking at 20 minutes — the center should be soft when pierced with a knife and the edges should be golden and crispy.
- Sprinkle grated parmesan over the potatoes and air fry for 3 more minutes until the cheese is melted and golden. Remove, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
FAQ
Place the potato on a cutting board between two chopsticks running parallel to each other, one on each side of the potato. When you slice downward, the knife hits the chopsticks and stops about 3–4 mm from the bottom, preventing you from cutting through. This creates perfectly even slices every time. You can also use wooden spoon handles — anything flat and the same height on both sides. Without this trick, it's very easy to accidentally cut through the potato.
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Comments (1)
High heat and don't crowd the pan — these two rules make or break flower potatoes. Crowded vegetables steam instead of browning. That caramelized sweetness only happens with space and heat.