Since these potatoes are “hasslebacked,“ or sliced accordion-style, before baking, the scallions and bacon fat really penetrate; the sour cream and bacon are the icing on the cake. (The dish has been known to elicit marriage proposals from strangers and tears from bacon lovers.)
June 2007
-
bacon slices (6 ounces)
-
1/2
cup sliced white parts of scallions plus 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (from 1 bunch)
-
3/4
teaspoon
salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
black pepper
-
6
medium russet (baking) potatoes (2 1/2 pounds)
-
1
8-ounce container sour cream
-
Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning over occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then carefully transfer drippings from skillet to a small heatproof bowl and stir in white parts of scallions, salt, and pepper.
-
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Tear off 6 (1-foot-long) sheets of heavy-duty foil.
-
Make deep crosswise cuts in potatoes 1/4 inch apart, leaving bottom 1/4 inch intact (do not cut all the way through). Place each potato on a sheet of foil and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon bacon-dripping mixture, separating slices to allow some to drip into cuts. Gather up foil around potatoes, crimping foil to tightly enclose.
-
Roast potatoes until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
-
Just before serving, stir together sour cream and scallion greens and crumble bacon over mixture.
-
Carefully open foil packets and transfer packets to a platter.
-
Serve potatoes with sour-cream topping.
Cooks' notes: Potatoes can be roasted on a grill prepared for indirect-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate for gas). Sour-cream topping, without crumbled bacon, can be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Just before serving, crumble bacon over topping.
