My grandmother from Cork made these every holiday and now I understand why everyone fought over the last one

These oven baked 3-ingredients Dublin style hasselback potatoes are my nod to the kind of potatoes my grandmother from Cork made every holiday—the ones everyone fought over at the table. They’re simple, deeply comforting, and all about good potatoes, real butter, and a proper hit of flaky sea salt. This version borrows the elegant accordion slicing of classic Swedish hasselbacks, but keeps the Irish spirit: humble ingredients, slow baking, and an emphasis on crisp, golden edges with a soft, creamy center. If you want a potato dish that looks impressive but is easy enough for a weeknight and special enough for a holiday, this is it.

Serve these potatoes straight from the baking dish while the edges are still shatteringly crisp and the centers are velvety. They’re perfect alongside roast chicken, baked salmon, or a simple pan-seared steak, but they also shine on a holiday table next to roast beef, ham, or a glazed pork loin. For a lighter meal, pair them with a big green salad dressed with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the butter. A spoonful of sour cream, a drizzle of good olive oil, or a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs at the table can round things out without complicating the recipe itself.

Servings: 4

2 pounds small to medium Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, scrubbed

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a white oval casserole dish or similar baking dish with a small amount of the melted butter to keep the potatoes from sticking.

Prepare the potatoes: Leave the skins on and pat the potatoes dry with a clean kitchen towel so they crisp better. Working one at a time, place a potato lengthwise between two wooden spoons or chopsticks on a cutting board. This will act as a guard so you don’t slice all the way through.

Slice the potatoes: Using a sharp knife, cut thin slices across the potato, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) apart, stopping when the knife hits the wooden spoons so the base stays intact. The potato should fan like an accordion but still hold together. Repeat with all the potatoes.

Arrange in the dish: Nestle the sliced potatoes snugly in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish, cut sides facing up. If any slices are stuck together, gently fan them open with your fingers so the butter can seep in.

Butter and salt: Slowly drizzle the melted butter over the tops of the potatoes, making sure to coat the surfaces and letting some butter drip down into the slices. Sprinkle the flaky sea salt evenly over the potatoes, aiming to get a bit between the slices for maximum flavor.

Bake, basting occasionally: Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the dish and use a spoon to baste the potatoes with the pooled butter from the bottom of the dish, gently coaxing the slices open a bit more if they’re still tight. Return to the oven and continue baking for another 25–35 minutes, basting once or twice more, until the potatoes are deeply golden, the edges are crisp, and the centers are very tender when pierced with a knife.

Finish and serve: Taste a little edge and add a final pinch of flaky sea salt if needed. Serve the potatoes immediately in the same white casserole dish so the golden, glistening slices are the star of the table, just as they would have been at a crowded Irish holiday dinner.

To keep the spirit of a three-ingredient recipe, think of variations as finishing touches rather than major changes. For a subtle herb note that still feels very Irish, you can scatter 1–2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley or chives over the potatoes right before serving; this doesn’t change the base recipe but adds color and freshness. If you prefer a slightly nuttier flavor, brown the butter gently on the stovetop before drizzling it over the potatoes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. For a more rustic Cork-style feel, use a mix of floury potatoes like russets and waxier yellow potatoes; the russets will get extra crisp on the edges while the yellows stay creamy. If you need to reduce the salt, use half the flaky salt called for and let everyone add more at the table. Food safety tips: Always scrub the potatoes well under cool running water to remove any dirt and trim away any green spots or sprouts, as these can be bitter. Keep melted butter refrigerated if you prepare it ahead; don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 1–2 hours before using. Use a sharp knife and cut slowly when making the hasselback slices, keeping your fingers tucked back to avoid slips. Finally, refrigerate any leftovers within two hours of baking and reheat thoroughly in a hot oven until steaming before serving again.