Adam's Breakfast Potatoes

I have mentioned before that Adam is in charge of weekend breakfasts at our house (but in case you didn't catch it before: pancakes! Adam's have no sugar, so they don't fight with the maple syrup. Yum).



When we have eggs (most of the time I want eggs. For some reason I do not like to diverge from routine at breakfast), he often makes home fries. He's been working on this method/recipe pretty much since we started dating, and friends, I think he's got it down.



It's a short list of ingredients: potatoes, onions, herbs, butter. We use thyme a lot, and sometimes tarragon in the summer, it really depends what we have around. Rosemary is always nice with potatoes, too. The secret is in the butter (isn't it always?), so don't be shy about it. If you don't use enough, even in a well seasoned cast iron skillet the potatoes will stick. And make sure you give yourself enough time- the potatoes take at least 30 minutes (closer to 40, usually) but much of that time is down time, so pour another cup of coffee and enjoy your morning, my friends.



Adam's Breakfast Potatoes
serves 3-4 as a breakfast side dish

6-8 medium yukon gold potatoes (a little less than 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, more as needed
1/2 a medium onion, sliced or diced, your preference
1 teaspoon or so of chopped fresh herbs - tarragon, thyme, or marjoram. If you use sage or rosemary, use a little less.
salt and pepper

Scrub potatoes, but don't peel them; dice into rough 1/2 inch pieces. Heat a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the potatoes, toss to coat in butter and season with a big pinch of salt, and cover the pan - we use one of those universal lids, it doesn't have to be a tight fit, just enough so that the potatoes can steam a bit. Stir it once or twice, but keep the lid on it for ten minutes. After ten minutes, uncover it, add the herbs and begin the stir-and-wait process.

Stir the potatoes every few minutes, but make sure you let them sit still enough so they begin to brown. If at any point the potatoes begin to stick to the pan, add more butter. Adam says "I know, it seems like a lot. Just add more butter." When you begin to ask yourself if the potatoes are almost done, that's when you add the onion. Adam says "when most of the sides of the potatoes are brown that's when I add the onions". I say, when the potatoes are about 80% as brown as you want them to be, add the onions. You might have to add a little nub of butter here. When the onions are soft and the potatoes are brown, yay! they're done. The whole process usually takes 30-40 minutes for us. Enjoy next to your eggs with or without ketchup and hot sauce.