Source:

Deux Cheminees, Philadelphia

Serves/Makes:8

Ingredients

• 5 lbs (2.3 kg) C or B sized new red or white potatoes (C are walnut-sized, B are about like golf balls)
• 1-1/2 gallons (5.7 ltr) water
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) salt
• 3/4 lb (.3 kg) double smoked slab bacon, rine removed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 cup (225 ml) scallions, thinly sliced, white part only
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly cracked black peppercorns
• 1-1/2 tbsp (20 ml) course Kosher salt
• 1 cup (225 ml) rice wine or mild champagne vinegar
• 2-1/2 cups (600 ml) (or less) peanut oil and rendered bacon fat, mixed

Preparation

• Place the potatoes, 1/2 cup (125 ml) salt, and water into a 16-quart pot. The water should cover the potatoes by about 4 inches.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook uncovered until the potatos are tender yet firm. Start testing after about 20 minutes. Do not under- or over-cook!
• Carefully drain and arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a tray to cool.
• Render the bacon over medium heat until crispy, but not hard. Drain a reserve the drippings.
• Peel and slice the potatoes while warm, into coins 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick, being careful not to break them. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
• Add all the remaining ingredients on top of the potatoes, then toss gently with your hands just enough to distribute everything evenly. Don't overmix.
• Allow to rest for a few hours at room temperature. Reseason if necessary with salt, pepper, and/or vinegar.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Comments

Chef Fritz Blank provides us this recipe from his Grandmother, Mary Katerina Blank, a renown German cook in Philadelphia many years ago.

Says Fritz, "As a child always by her apron strings, I unwittingly mentally recorded a portion of her culinary repertoire, and I dedicate this recipe to the memory of her acumen in the kitchen."