Potato Hash with Bacon and Melted Onions

This is a recipe from a cook book my sister-in-law gave me, Ad Hoc at Home. We had it as a side dish with dinner and it makes a lot! Great for having people over and would be a great brunch addition.

12 oz applewood-smoked slab bacon

canola oil

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

1 thyme spring, leaves only

1 cup melted onions (recipe below)

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp minced chives

First, the melted onions recipe:

This makes 2 cups, so you can half it or use them for something else.

8 cups sliced onions (about 3 onions)

salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 sachet*

Put the onions in a large saute pan, set over medium low heat, sprinkle with 2 generous pinches salt and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 20 minutes (until the onions release much of their liquid). Stir in the butter. Add the sachet, cover and cook slowly over medium low heat for another 30-35 minutes. The onions should look creamy at all times (water can be added if needed to emulsify the butter). Season to taste with salt. Once cooled, the onions can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

*Sachet

1 bay leaf

3 thyme springs

10 black peppercorns

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

Lay out a 7 inch square of cheesecloth. Put the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic near the bottom of the square and fold the bottom edge up and over them. Roll once, tuck in the two ends of the cheesecloth, and continue to roll. Tie the cheesecloth at both ends with kitchen twine.

Back to the hash:

Cut bacon into lardons about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch thick. Set aside. Pour about 1.5 inches of oil in a large saute pan and heat to medium high heat. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels. Meanwhile square off the sides of the potatoes to give them a rectangular shape and cut into 1/2 inch dice. A bit of skin left on the cubes is fine.

Add half the potatoes to the hot oil and cook for about 8 minutes, until tender and a rich golden brown; they will not be crisp. Remove from oil with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Pour 2 Tbsp water into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat (the water will keep the bacon from crisping as the fat begins to render). Add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium low and let the bacon render its fat for 30 minutes. The bacon will color but not become completely crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Drain the excess fat from the pan, leaving just a film of fat to cook the potatoes; reserve the extra fat.

Add half of the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with salt, and add half the thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes to crisp the potatoes and heat through. Add half the onions and fold in one quarter of the bacon. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl, add the minced chives, and garnish with remaining bacon.