Smoky Potato Salad

Potato salad can be made a million ways, but I love the smoky flavor of this one.  This recipe takes virtually no time to complete and the results are delicious.  It is best served chilled, but can stay at room temperature for about two hours or so.  I used some super fresh small red potatoes from a local farmers market.  I estimated their weight to be approximately 2 lbs total, but it may have even been slightly less.  This recipe makes a small batch for 2-4 people, feel free to increase the amounts as needed for a larger batch.

For this recipe you will need:

• 2 lbs small red potatoes (leave the skin on, but be sure to clean thoroughly! Cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 slices bacon (uncooked, chopped)
• 1 medium sized Vidalia or other sweet onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (the cheap store-brand stuff works fine)
• 1 1/4 tbsp mayonnaose
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• parsley (add as needed, just eye-ball the amount)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Clean the potatoes before using and let dry in a colander while cutting into small 1-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, coat the potato pieces in the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan or edged cookie sheet (you don't want the excess oil falling to the bottom of your oven).

 Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Go over the potatoes about half-way through done-ness with a spatula to keep them from sticking too badly to the pan and to ensure they cook evenly.  Remove potatoes from baking pan and transfer to a large bowl when cooked.

Chop the two bacon slices while raw and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving about 1 tbsp drippings in pan.  Transfer the bacon to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the diced onion to the drippings left in the pan.  Cook for about 12 minutes until the onion is golden brown and caramelized. stirring frequently.  Add garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the onion mixture and bacon to the potatoes and toss gently.  Let stand for 15 minutes to cool down a bit before adding the dressing.

To make the dressing, combine the mustard, mayonnaise, honey and vinegar in a small bowl.  Stir with a whisk or fork to combine.

Add the mustard mixture to the potatoes and add parsley, to taste.  Toss everything together gently, be sure everything is coated evenly.  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.