Fried Taters

bcsdguy wrote:
My wife has an interesting twist on this. She uses the small white or red potatoes. First, boil them and set them aside to cool. Do not remove the skins. Then, place them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Using a potato masher or other such object, smash them so they split open. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and sprinkle a dried herb of your choice. She uses Tarragon. Bake in oven or place under the broiler until lightly browned.

Ree Drummond/Pioneer Woman does this and calls them "Crash Potatoes," I think.

coolbreeze01 wrote:
I add the onions just before the potatoes are done. I don't care for burnt onions.

Ditto that. The potatoes take much longer to get done. I actually add the onions about half-way through the cooking process. That way the onions are cooked and some are starting to turn a bit brown, but not black.

You can't beat bacon grease or lard. Years ago the very best french fries I ever ate came from a little convenience store/butcher shop that had a great hamburger business on the side. The lard made all the difference.

Super_Dave wrote:
I noticed a lot of folks are throwing their onions in at the start. My experience is that results in burnt onions. I usually don't add my onions until I'm about 1/2 way through.

That's what I do, but in retrospect I think cooking them first in the same pan would probably be the best. There's always a good amount of onion sugar left in the pan after softening onions.

Super_Dave wrote:
I noticed a lot of folks are throwing their onions in at the start. My experience is that results in burnt onions. I usually don't add my onions until I'm about 1/2 way through.

Many partially cook their onions, remove them from the pan, put the potatoes in, then onions on top. Many different ways to do it according to taste.

I noticed a lot of folks are throwing their onions in at the start. My experience is that results in burnt onions. I usually don't add my onions until I'm about 1/2 way through.

Javi1 wrote:
All this talk of fried taters has got me to thinking and planning.. I've been on a cholesterol diet for several weeks and had my blood test this morning..

So I says to myself...

Self... since you is going camping this weekend it might just be mighty fine to have you some of them river taters all fried up in some bacon grease with some sunny side up eggs, cat head biscuits and pan gravy...

once won't hurt will it ???

Only if you have an addiction to it :)

All this talk of fried taters has got me to thinking and planning.. I've been on a cholesterol diet for several weeks and had my blood test this morning..

So I says to myself...

Self... since you is going camping this weekend it might just be mighty fine to have you some of them river taters all fried up in some bacon grease with some sunny side up eggs, cat head biscuits and pan gravy...

once won't hurt will it ???

Not that I would use something so unhealthy, but smoked hog jowl produces more fat that taste just like bacon without as many little tasteless pieces of protein.:B

Tinbender: that's as good as it gets. Fresh air gives it that extra flavor, which is why it's never quite as good at home... but dern near it!

Been eating fried taters for nearly 70 years. Have had them cooked in almost every way anyone can think of, liked almost all the different ways and still do. But the one for me that always comes to the top is a version we call "sockeye". Don't have any idea where the name came from or why it is used but for years and years at deer camp, fishing camps, and just plain camping trips it was the breakfast staple.

Now read carefully it is a difficult recipe to follow.

Chop a pound of good bacon into 1/2 inch chunks.
Peel and chunk up a couple onions.
Wash and chunk up a couple-three pounds of taters.
Mix up together and throw into a couple fry pans.
Cook until taters are well browned.

Put the Sockeye aside and render down a couple strips of bacon then fry up the eggs, while they are cooking start frying the bread in the other pan.

Just wish we were still able to get up to deer camp to enjoy this delicacy, seems like its just not the same doing it at home, still good though.

Tinbender