It's the dog days of summer here in South Central Ontario. It's hot, it's sticky, it's muggy, it's gross. I do not do well in it. I wilt like the flowers in my garden. Thank god it's temporary. And I am well aware that I will be complaining about the cold weather soon enough so I should just enjoy it. But I can't. I'm Canadian, complaining about the weather is what we do, it's our national past time (and you thought it was hockey.)
Other than thoughts of sitting by an ocean or lake somewhere, enjoying the cool breeze, having my personal cabana boy bringing me mojitos and margaritas...wait, what was I talking about? Reality check. The heat makes me feel super lazy. I don't really feel like cooking, and I certainly don't feel like eating anything warm. I start gravitating towards salads. 'Tis the season for picnics, camping trips, and friendly backyard get-togethers. These events always remind me of potato salad. I think it's a rule that someone has to bring a potato salad in order for a summer BBQ to happen (no really, there is a rule somewhere I'm sure of it.) This isn't your Mom's traditional potato salad. Nope. Nothing personal Mom, your potato salad is delicious. But here is a different spin on an old standard. This Chef Michael Smith recipe uses fresh roasted baby potatoes (my favourite kind, so tasty), and... wait for it....bacon. I swear, just by adding bacon to a recipe, you can elevate the status of a plain old salad from zero to ten. Just my own personal theory. And by roasting the potatoes, you add a nice crispy texture to them, plus I think it makes them even more visually appealing. I used white potatoes as that's all my local fruit and veggie stand had on site, but next time, I'd like to try red, white and purple potatoes for a nice colour contrast. I also love the addition of a grainy mustard, as well as adding diced pickles, or capers. It's an easy, tasty recipe with a lovely zing... and there is bacon. Need I say more? Happy Dog Days of Summer!
Roasted Potato Bacon Salad
from Chef Michael Smith's book The Best of Chef at Home 2009
Serves 4
4 or 5 thick slices of bacon
20 or so baby potatoes (red or white or a mix)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves (I used the curly variety growing in my garden)
a few pickles, diced small
1 tbsp of grainy mustard
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
a splash of red wine vinegar
Stack the bacon slices on top of each other and then cut them into thin pieces. Toss them in a large saute pan, add a splash of water and heat over medium-high heat. Strain and reserve the fat. Set aside the bacon.
Heat your oven to 400 F. Cut the baby potatoes in half and toss them in the bacon fat, salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven until they are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Toss the potatoes with the bacon pieces, parsley, pickles, mustard, mayo and vinegar. Serve right away or prepare the night before.
Chef Michael Smith's Freestyle Variation:
Try using capers instead of the pickles (which I will do next time) and use a few spoonfuls of pickled green relish instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment