Welcome 2012! A lot of blogs, morning television shows, and other random people are talking about keeping resolutions, New Year-New You transformations, healthy recipes and the like. Well, not this gal.
I am hitting the ground running with a recipe all about smoky pork, silky soft potato and skin crisped by bacon fat! Oh yeah. . .
Recipes for smashed potatoes of all kinds can be found on the internet these days, because it is such a simple but pleasurable taste treat. You can roast them or fry them after smashing, depending on the flavor you want or how decadent you want to be. I guess I was feeling a bit decadent.
I recently went on a tour of Melissa’s Produce, and learned about all sorts of cool new products coming to the market near you! They were kind enough to have samples of all sorts of things, and one product caught my eye immediately. . . Ruby Gold Peewee Potatoes. I am totally biased towards anything with the word Ruby in the title, as this is my kids name. Now that she is beginning to read I like to ask her to find a familiar word, and she always gets a huge grin when she recognizes her name on a book or package.
I quickly snatched up a bag (food bloggers and writers are quick to grab samples so you have to move fast) and toted them home. My friend Holland came by to drop off her super-cool Christmas present of homemade vanilla extract and a huge jar of vanilla sugar, and saw the potatoes. She mentioned recently having some smashed potatoes that had been fried in duck fat, and an idea was born. I didn’t have duck fat, but I sure do have a lot of bacon fat! When you make your own bacon, you are sure to save all the good rendered fat!
Chop up and few slices of bacon, and cook them until crisp in a large skillet. Remove the bacon and drain well on a paper towel. While the bacon is cooking, boil the potatoes about 10 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
- 1 pound Ruby Gold Peewee Potatoes, or other very small potato
- 3-4 ounces thick cut bacon, chopped
- to taste salt
- optional fresh thyme leaves
While the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet over medium low heat, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Reserve the fat in the pan.
With the bottom of a clean glass, smash the potatoes flat. Place them in a single layer into the skillet, frying them in batches. If needed, add more bacon fat or other oil to the skillet.
Fry the potatoes for 3-4 minutes or until they get a lightly golden color. Place them onto a serving platter.
Sprinkle the reserved crispy bacon pieces over the potatoes. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of course salt and some fresh thyme leaves for an extra layer of flavor.
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 1 pound
