Roasted potatoes with hoisin sauce

My inspiration for this dish comes from the Swedish hasselback potatoes and Indo-Chinese chili potatoes. Hasselback potatoes originated in Sweden as a fancy baked potato. When they appeared on a menu it meant that it was something special instead of the usual baked potato. Typically they are made with Russet/Idaho potatoes or the regular roasting potato, where they are cut into thin slices down the length of the potato, but not all the way through so that they retain their accordion like shape. I used the same technique with Yukon gold potatoes. And chili potatoes originated in India, where potatoes that are cut into pieces and deep fried. Then they are coated with a garlicky chili sauce and garnished with spring onions. Growing up I used to like that dish. Hence I decided to combine the beautiful hasselback potatoes with a garlicky Chinese barbecue sauce and came up with this creation. The crispy garlic bits and the sweet and salty sauce give the potatoes great flavor.

Roasted potatoes with hoisin sauce

8 oz small sized yukon gold potatoes
Canola oil for brushing
Table salt for sprinkling
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (Chinese Barbecue sauce)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Peel the potatoes and using a paring knife, thinly slice the potatoes down the length of the potato without going all the way through so that the slices do not separate. If the potatoes are wobbly, slice off a thin slice from the bottom to create a base. 
3. Brush the potatoes with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and place them on a greased baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack and bake the potatoes for 40 minutes. By this time they should be halfway cooked.
4. In the meantime, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic and chili flakes to create a thick sauce.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and stuff 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of the sauce into the slits and over the potatoes. Put the tray back in the oven for another 20 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked.
6. Serve warm.

Serves 2 - 3 as part of a multi-course meal.