Backyard BBQ
Bacon-Fried Potato Salad with Chèvre
- Prep time 40 minutes
- Cook time 20 minutes
- Serves 6
Author Notes
This delicious bacon-fried potato salad is easy to transport and perfect for summer entertaining. The creamy texture and tangy flavor of the chèvre complements grilled meats and vegetables, and when served cool, the salad becomes a refreshing side dish.
First I have you cook the bacon and boil the potatoes, then quickly sear the potatoes in the bacon fat for extra flavor (an optional step that I highly recommend doing). After that, you’ll toss all the ingredients together in a bowl or casserole dish. Instead of a traditional dressing, the lemon juice from the quickly macerated red onions, olive oil, and the chèvre come together to create a creamy coating.
Tips & Tricks
• Macerating onions is similar to doing a quick pickle with fewer ingredients. Simply allow them to sit in a bit of lemon juice and salt for at least 15 minutes to mellow the pungent, onion-y flavor and to draw out both sweetness and moisture.
• If you choose to fry the potatoes in the bacon drippings, then you’ll end up with a little extra drippings in the salad. Because of this, you may not have to add all of the olive oil. Start with 3 tablespoons and add the additional fourth, if needed.
• If you don’t fry the potatoes in the bacon drippings, increase the olive oil amount to 6 tablespoons.
—Nea Arentzen
Ingredients
-
2
(1.5-pound) bags yellow little potatoes, halved
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1
small red onion, coarsely chopped
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1
lemon
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1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt, more to taste
-
1/2 pound
bacon
-
4 ounces
chèvre
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1/4 cup
coarsely chopped parsley leaves
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4 to 6 tablespoons
olive oil (see tip)
-
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, place the chopped onion in a small bowl. Squeeze in all of the lemon juice and add a pinch of salt. Give the onions a stir and set them aside to macerate until the potato salad is ready to assemble (see tip).
- Arrange the bacon in a cold, large non-stick skillet (you may need to cook the bacon in batches) and set it over medium heat. When the fat starts to render, cook for 1–3 minutes per side, or until crispy and browned. You can flip the bacon often for even browning. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat and repeat with the remaining bacon, if needed. Coarsely chop into varying sizes.
- Optional step: Brown the potatoes. Transfer all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings into a small bowl. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, then add the potato halves in batches, cut side down, and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining potatoes, adding more bacon drippings as needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, bacon, onions and lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss until evenly coated (see tip). Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Let the potatoes cool completely, otherwise the cheese will melt as you add it.
- Crumble in the chèvre and toss gently, leaving large pieces and making sure not to completely mix it in (unless you want to, of course). Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Serve garnished with more parsley and black pepper.
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