I won’t lie; I have a bit of a potato problem. French Fries, Roasted Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes, the list is never ending. I could never stick to a carbohydrate free lifestyle with this potato infatuation of mine. And with my favorite meal of the day, breakfast, you are almost always given a side of this delicious starchy vegetable. It depends on my mood, but I typically prefer the roasted and perfectly crisped home fries. This recipe is my version of that classic breakfast accompaniment. Have you ever had purple potatoes? These little Peruvian potatoes are becoming more and more popular in grocery stores for their creamy texture and vibrant color. Cook them like you would new potatoes. Shiitake mushrooms (pronounce shee-TAH-kay) are more expensive than standard button mushrooms, but they are so much more flavorful; you only need a few to make your dish sing. Remember that patience is key when browning your potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and caramelizing the onions. Trust me, it is well worth the wait. While rendering your bacon and cooking your mushrooms in the next steps, make sure to stir the onions every few minutes and remove once they are evenly browned. This should take around 30 minutes, remove from heat when finished and reserve. Slowly sauté the bacon until slightly crispy and remove from the pan onto a paper towel-lined plate, reserve for later. Add a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper to the Shiitake mushrooms, don’t shake the pan but let the mushrooms brown evenly on one side. Once browned, flip the mushrooms delicately and remove from pan onto a smaller plate, reserve. Don’t move the pan, this is very important so that the potatoes can evenly brown. After 3-5 minutes, when they are browned flip potatoes and brown the other side, turn down the heat to medium low to evenly cook the potatoes. Re-warm over low heat. When hot, turn the heat off and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh picked tarragon.
