Back in college, my friends and I would go to this step above, hole in the wall Greek restaurant. Frequently. Maybe not weekly, but at least every other week. It was almost always empty, other than our 12 person table. We would generally order the same thing every time we went. A gyro and “cottage fries” with. I’m not sure why they were called “cottage fries”, but they were thinly sliced fried potatoes. Not chips, not fries. They were as if a chip and a french fry had a delicious little baby. And the Feta Dressing that came with them…OMG so good.
*Side Note: Remember how awful it was going out to eat with 12 people, every time you went out?? That is certainly one perk of having kids. Only the people who REALLY love you/tolerate eating with children will eat with you, limiting group dinners to maybe 4-6 people. It’s amazing. Thanks kids!*
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, this restaurant closed not long after we graduated. I don’t want to say we kept them in business, but…I think we kind of did! So I haven’t been able to get my Cottage Fry and Feta Dip fix for probably 10 years, which is a crying shame! And then I got an air fryer!
I’ve tried to make chips in the air fryer before and it doesn’t work TOO well because there isn’t room for everything to be in a single layer, leaving some really crispy pieces, and some soggy ones. So I thought I would try the Hasselback potato method, and let me tell you. Its PRETTY GOOD. Is it an exact replica of my beloved Cottage Fries, no. But I’m going to assume it is healthier since it isn’t deep fried, and these potatoes are good in their own right. And dipping anything into a feta based dip is going to taste like heaven, so I’m calling this experiment a win!
Hasselback Potatoes + Feta Dressing
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup heaping feta
- Lemon juice maybe a wedge or so
- 1 tsp mayo
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the potatoes:
- To get the perfect combination of soft potato + crispy skin, you’ll need to half-cook the potatoes. I prefer cooking them in the microwave over parboiling them because it’s faster, and the skin isn’t as wet resulting in a crispier skin. Using a fork, poke holes around the potatoes. Wrap in a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 6-9 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. You want them to be mostly cooked.
- While the potatoes are cooking combine olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Once the potatoes are cooked and cooled enough to handle, Hasselback those babies. Use those random take-out chopsticks you have in the back of your draw to guide you. Set them on either side of the potato, and make 1/4 inch slices. The chopsticks will help keep you from cutting all the way through the potato.
- Using a pastry brush, brush on the olive oil mixture, making sure to get in between the slices and all over the top of the potato.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°, for about 5 minutes.
- Cook the potatoes at 400° for 8-10 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy!
Make the Feta Dressing:
- Combine yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, and feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.Pull apart the potato slices and dip away!
Notes
Find more tasty side dishes HERE. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for even more recipes!
[…] have goat cheese. Use Boursin, or heck cream cheese will be great too! You could even make my Feta Dressing for this. You really just need any spreadable cheese. I used a store bought pesto but my Arugula […]