Holly's Homestead — Recipe
Potato, Bacon and Onion Fry-up
Crispy potato, salty bacon and sweet onion in one pan
DIFFICULTY Easy
COURSE Main
CUISINE Australian
COURSE Main
CUISINE Australian
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Freezes well
No
A batch this size may need an extra 5-10 minutes of simmering to thicken properly - there's more liquid to reduce relative to the pot's surface area.
01Ingredients
- 800g potatoes, cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 200g bacon, diced
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley or chives
02Method
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes until just tender, then drain and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in one layer and cook for 10 minutes without stirring too often, until crisp and golden.
- Push the potatoes to the side, add the bacon and onion and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onion is soft and the bacon crisp.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika and salt and cook for 1 minute, then toss everything together.
- Scatter over the herbs and serve straight from the pan, topped with a fried egg if you like.
03Notes & substitutions
- Use waxy or all-purpose potatoes like Desiree or Sebago for the best crisp.
- Parboiling the potatoes first gives crisp edges and a fluffy middle.
- Add capsicum, corn or sliced sausage for a heartier meal.
- Serve with fried or poached eggs for a breakfast or dinner.
- Use leftover boiled or roast potatoes and skip the parboil.
04Common mistakes
- Crowding the pan — the potatoes steam instead of crisp; use a large pan or cook in two batches.
- Stirring constantly — the potatoes need to sit still to form a crust.
- Adding the garlic too early — it burns and goes bitter; add it near the end.
- Using wet potatoes — dry them well after boiling so they crisp.
05Storage & leftovers
Fridge
Up to 3 days; reheat in a hot pan to re-crisp.
Freezer
Not recommended; the potatoes go grainy.
Reheating
Use a frying pan, not the microwave, to keep them crisp.