To my husband, nothing seems more like morning than a potato dish radiating the scent of burning vegetables. The aroma of blackness is his inspiration for the rest of the day.
Brian loves his potatoes, and he is gracious enough to buy what he needs, kiss me, and say “Bon Adios.” I leave the kitchen for him to make odors and messes. Then I will come back to give his creation try. The mess is his responsbility.,
Breakfast for me is a bagel and cream cheese, but slowly, year by year, I’m beginning to like my potatoes.
This recipe is for the very basic morning potato: just potato and onion. You can certainly add other ingredients to change the flavor and the heat factor: peppers, Worchester sauce, garlic, … The combinations are endless, but I have to say this basic breakfast potato dish cannot be topped.
In dicing the potatoes and onions, I like things “smallish” — no more than ¼ inch on a side. Different sizes of dicing will affect the cooking time, but the end result should be terrific.
A cast iron skillet here is essential. You need to get it hot, let the potatoes start to blacken and let your kitchen smell like the diner it was meant to be.
Oh, I do have a little sugar fix here that I should explain: it’s for Brian and it’s actually a good idea. The recipe begins by cooking bacon topped with some brown sugar, not much, for God’s sake, but some. Why? Is this part of my husband’s diabetic future? I do it because it tastes really, really good. You know how bacon, as it cooks, begins to dry and to harden into strips you would rather not eat? Well, add a little brown sugar and the resulting carmelization coats the bacon and you get unburnt, rather sticky strips of succulent meat. Trust me, this is good idea. It will expand your horizons beyond bagels.
Best Breakfast Potatoes
Yield: serves 2-4, leftovers are delicious
Ingredients:
12 strips of bacon
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
4 diced potatoes
1 diced onion
1 stick of butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat your oven to 250°F.
Use a cast iron skillet, ideally an 11” or 12” size. Lay the strips of bacon in the skillet. If they overlap, that’s fine. Sprinkle on the brown sugar. Turn on the heat to medium, and cook the bacon until done. You will want to turn the bacon occasionally, especially if the pieces overlap. Cook until medium done. The sugar will have melted, coated the bacon, and the aroma should be highly enticing.
Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon juices in pan. Put the bacon on a paper towel, pat dry, and then place in the preheated oven to remain warm.
Add the potatoes to the cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high. Dot with the butter. Cook until the potatoes are beginning to soften. You will want to stir occasionally during this time: 15+ minutes.
Add the diced onion, stir, add more butter if necessary, and cook. Stir occasionally but inevitably some of the potatoes will stick to the bottom and begin to burn. That’s ambiance.
Cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the warm bacon.
Source: Brian O’Rourke