side essentials: bacon/cheese smashed taters

How To Make side essentials: bacon/cheese smashed taters

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  Step 1
  PREP/PREPARE
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  Step 2
  Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
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  Step 3
  Place a rack in the bottom position, and one in the upper position, and preheat the oven to 450f (230c).
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  Step 4
  Add the taters to a large pot of salted water.
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  Step 5
  Bring the pot to the boil, and cook until they are fork tender, about 8 – 10 minutes.
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  Step 6
  Chef’s Tip: When picking up the taters, do not go for the prepackaged bag; instead pick them up individually from the bin, and try to make them all the same size. That way they will all finish cooking at the same time…
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  Step 7
  While the taters are happily boiling away, place the bacon in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. I just love, love, love bacon. It is truly one of nature’s perfect foods.
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  Step 8
  Cook the bacon until it renders its fat, and begins to crisp, about 6 – 8 minutes.
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  Step 9
  Remove from the pan, drain on paper towels, and reserve.
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  Step 10
  Remove the taters from the water, and allow them to rest for five minutes.
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  Step 11
  Place the potatoes into the skillet with the bacon fat, and using the bottom of a glass, or the palm of your hand, smash the potatoes, until they split open.
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  Step 12
  Chef's Tip: Leave them nice and thick. As soon as the skin begins to split open, stop. If you flatten them too much, they will burn in the oven, and fall apart.
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  Step 13
  Chef’s Note: If you do not have much bacon fat in the pan, add a glug or two of olive oil. What is a glug, you ask? Actually, I do not know, I just keep hearing Jamie Oliver use that term, and it sounded really cool.
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  Step 14
  Place the olive oil into a small bowl, add the hot sauce and whisk until combined.
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  Step 15
  Chef’s Note: Okay, I know one of those ingredients is oil, and the other is not. However, contrary to what you may have heard, you can mix oil and water. You just have whisk, whisk, whisk… Put your back into it.
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  Step 16
  Brush the tops with the 3 tablespoons of oil/hot sauce mixture.
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  Step 17
  Chef’s Note: If your skillet is not big enough to hold all the taters, you will need to switch over to a baking sheet. Just coat the bottom the sheet with the rendered bacon fat, and maybe a bit of olive oil, and you are good to go.
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  Step 18
  Place the ovenproof skillet into the oven on the lower rack, and bake until the taters are golden brown, about 20 – 25 minutes.
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  Step 19
  Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the cheese.
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  Step 20
  Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
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  Step 21
  Return the skillet to the oven on the upper rack, and bake until the cheese melts, and begins to bubble, about 2 – 3 minutes.
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  Step 22
  Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the bacon, add a dollop of sour cream, and the chopped green onions, if using.
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  Step 23
  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Step 24
  Serve as a side dish with your favorite foods, or as an hors d'oeuvre, or starter. Enjoy.
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  Step 25
  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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