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Claire's Potatoes

Source of Recipe

From "See You on Sunday" by Sam Sifton


Recipe Introduction

"I had a terrific breakfast once on San Juan Island, north of Seattle, in a dockside coffee shop that served commercial fishermen, hippie farmers, kayak tourists, and boat builders in equal measure. The grated hash brown potatoes there were cooked in thin sheets, then run under the broiler beneath a handful of grated cheese to create crisp pancakes that could be used as a platter on which to serve fried eggs, or as a hat to top them, depending on your mood. When I got home to New York, I started making them for dinner, which was labor-intensive and eventually annoying because one of my children wanted them for dinner all the time. Together we worked out a hack. It is this recipe, and you can easily double it, and serve with just about anything. Omit the bacon if bacon's not your game, and replace it with a couple tablespoons of butter. The point is simply to aim for a thick, caramelized crust of potatoes. The interiors will be soft and sweet."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 slices bacon, ideally double smoked or slab
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5), scrubbed and diced
â—¦ 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
â—¦ 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced


Recipe

Put the bacon on a large rimmed baking sheet, put it in the oven, and heat the oven to 400° F. Cook the bacon until it is cooked through, chewy, and going to crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. There should be a couple tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. If there is more, remove and discard it.

Add the butter to the bacon fat, then put the potatoes and onion into the pan and stir to coat. Spread the potatoes and onion evenly across the pan and return the pan to the oven for 20 minutes or so. Take the pan out again and use a spatula to turn the potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes are beginning to crisp, then turn them once more and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Take the potatoes out of the oven, season with salt and pepper, and top with the shredded cheese. Stir to combine and return the pan to the oven until the cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Tip onto a warmed serving tray, garnish with the scallions, and serve.