BLT Baby Potato Bite (2014 Potato Festival Cook-off) – Chef Jeff Toback

Candied Bacon:

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon allspice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon paprika
  1. Combine all ingredients except bacon. Place in airtight container.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bacon out on a sheet and bake in oven for about 6 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven allow to cool slightly. Completely cover bacon in sugar mixture and lay on sheet pan again. Continue baking until sugar starts to caramelize but does not burn.
  4. Cool and chop bacon as finely as you would like.

Tomato and Onion Salad:

  • 1 white onion or sweet onion (small dice, 1/8 in dice)
  • 3 tablespoons papriks
  • 1 lb Heirloom tomato (cherry tomato size)
  • 1 container spicy radish sprouts (or chiffonade of lettuce of your choice)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1. Dice onion into 1/8 inch size dice, place in bowl.
  1. Dice Heirloom tomato and add to bowl.
  2. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust as needed.
  3. Add smoked paprika and chopped bacon and combine well.

Baby Potatoes:

3 lbs baby potatoes (I used Yukon golds, baby red skin, and Purple Peruvian)

  1. Partially cook the potatoes by either steaming or boiling them for about 10 minutes.
  2. Allow them to cool, then cut them in half and using a small melon baller, scoop out a small hole for the filling to sit.
  3. Heat a saute pan just until you can seel little wisps of smoke coming off of it. Add oil and potatoes and quickly toss to get them coated in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste (I used a touch more for flavor profile).
  4. When potatoes are crisp remove from heat and fill with bacon, tomato and onion mixture.

 

Balsamic Reduction:

2 cups Balsamic vinegar

  1. Place vinegar in a small pot and bring to a boil, then turn down heat and allow vinegar to simmer.
  2. Allow vinegar to simmer until it is reduced by half, or until it becomes syrupy.

Candy Corn:

  • 3 cups corn
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  1. Place water and sugar into a pot and bringt to boil until sugar is dissolved. Add corn and coat with sugar mixture, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  2. Drain corn through a fine mesh strainer, lay out onto a sheetpan and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.
  3. Remove corn from pan and place onto piece of parchment paper, allowing to cool.

To Plate:

  1. Drizzle a small amount of balsamic syrup on the plate in a pattern of your choice.
  2. Place the potato on the plate and fill with bacon, tomato mixture.
  3. Top with the spicy greens or chiffonade of lettuce.
  4. Place candy corn next to potato.
  5. Serve and enjoy.