I made a Hassleback potato. Visually appealing but it wasn't worth the effort.

I would never make this again.

I mean, I could tell based on my understanding of physics and cooking that it was not going to turn out as one would hope.

But I plowed through and made it anyways. In the end, every single concern I had about this preparation rang true.

I knew going in that it couldn't possibly cook consistently because the bottom would be a solid mass and the top would be split apart with varying gaps.

I knew that convection would not carry the moisture away from the bottom of the fins but it would desiccate the tops properly. I felt that the tops 1/3 would have crispy delicious skins but the base would have tough leather. I was right.

I knew that both ends would be rock hard and inedible but it had to be that way in order for the thicker parts to absorb enough heat.

I knew that applying an oil to the top was a very delicate game because it would just saturate into a grease pool if it dripped/pooled to the lower part.

I feel like this is a misbegotten recipe. A big series of fanciful ideas that are visually impressive but do not deliver in the taste department. Seems like it's from a time before cooking science was well understood.

Mandolin and a skewer to keep them togehther-ish in the oven.

it's how I keep onion rings together while grilling them. (actually, i use poultry dressing scewers for that. they're the perfect size. Tab them through the layers, then slice between them. Marinade in salt, vinegar and olive oil. Grill on high till... uh... grilled.)