Momo Potatoes
/Summary: Simple ingredients come together in one pot to make a hearty, flavorful, comforting meal! MoMo, the salad chef in my grandparents' restaurant, created this dish.
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 5 strips bacon
- 3 cups thinly sliced onions (peel, halve, cut crosswise in half-moon slivers)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3 russet potatoes, scrubbed (don't peel)
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (Momo used orange, but I like Cabot Extra Sharp White)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
In a large skillet with a lid (12" works well), fry the bacon until it's just crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt to the skillet with the drippings. Over medium or medium-low heat, fry the onions until they're translucent and soft, tossing regularly to evenly distribute the salt and bacon fat. After 15 minutes or so, transfer them to a bowl. Don't wipe out your skillet.
Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add the remaining teaspoon of salt and cook the potatoes (still whole) for 4 minutes. Using tongs, remove the potatoes, let cool a bit and then slice them crosswise into 1/4" rounds.
Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Layer in the skillet potato rounds, onions, bacon and cheese. You should get two complete layers topped with a final few potatoes. Cover the skillet and smother the Momos. Once or twice during cooking, remove the lid and use a large spatula or flat wooden spoon to gently toss everything around. You want the potatoes to be cooked through but not mushy, the bacon should be soft, the cheese should be evenly melted and the onions will have blended in with everything.
When done, taste and re-salt if needed. Grate pepper over the top and serve.
