Listen, y’all. I know it’s been over a month since I last posted.
It’s not like I haven’t been trying. I have at least three posts in various stages of completion that I just haven’t been able to bring myself to publish. I’m sorry. I guess I just haven’t felt like sharing much lately.
Until tonight. Tonight there were these potatoes. And I just knew that you’d want to know about them. Because after weeks of kitchen mediocrity and work-related anxiety, these potatoes arrived on the scene and changed the course of events for the better.
It’s amazing how food can do that.
It’s pretty simple, really. Golden potatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and bacon grease.
Yep – see that mini-mason jar in the top left-hand corner of the photo? That’s rendered bacon grease, leftover from the BLT’s we had for lunch yesterday. You know, the French are known for their potatoes cooked in duck fat (a distinction that is well deserved), so I figured here in the American South, we could use our humble equivalent – pig fat.
If, however, you are averse to pork products, you could most certainly use all olive oil. It’s totally up to you.
If you’re like me, though, and you relish the thought of bacon scented potatoes, then by all means read on.
Roasted Potatoes
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 45-60 minutes
yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized golden potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
I start by preheating my oven to 450F, then scrubbing the potatoes and cutting them into 2-inch pieces. I then combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon bacon grease and 1 teaspoon grated garlic in another bowl, whisking to combine. This mixture then gets poured all over those potatoes. Add a teaspoon of salt and lots of freshly grated black pepper.
Pour the potatoes out onto a baking sheet, making sure you scrape every last bit of that delicious oil and bacon grease mixture out of the mixing bowl. Spread them into a single layer, and place them in your preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, checking periodically to make sure they’re not sticking. If they are, use some tongs to scrape the pan and loosen the potatoes – if they tear a bit, that’s okay – those torn bits get good and crispy and delicious.
See, crispy and delicious. They’re addictive. I had to slap my husband’s hand out of the way as he stood at the kitchen counter eating them off the baking sheet (I might have had to practice a little self-restraint, too). I was afraid we wouldn’t have enough for dinner.
I served them alongside this salad – a combination of spinach, romaine, golden tomatoes, blue cheese and avocado – and some chicken sausage. Even though it was a simple meal, it was one of the most flavorful we’ve had in a long time. And I wanted to share it with you.
Enjoy!
