BACON MASHED POTATOES WITH REAL GRAVY

BACON MASHED POTATOES WITH REAL GRAVY


Ingredients
8 slices bacon
4 potatoes
1 celery
1/2 carrot
13oz chicken stock
3 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bread

1. Quarter the potatoes and put them in a pot of water. Bring the pot up to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. Drain, cook for another minute on low heat to dry out the potatoes, then add the olive oil to the pot and cover the lid and let sit.

2. Place strips of bacon into a cold pan and slowly bring up to temperature at low-medium heat. This renders the bacon fat out and leaves you with crispy leaner bacon. Place finished strips of bacon on a paper towel covered dish.

3. Cut the vegetables into smaller pieces and blend in a food processor. Place the veggies into the bacon fat and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and reduce for 5 minutes. This infuses the flavors and thickens the gravy.

4. Quarter the toasts and chop in food processor. Add the crumbs to the pan. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and then take off heat. Strain the gravy into a bowl, pushing down on the mixture until all of the liquid comes out.

5. Mash the potatoes. Slice the bacon and add to the mash. Season with salt and pepper. Top the bacon mashed potatoes with gravy.

This is my favorite way to make gravy. It's done without using flour. The resulting carrot/celery/breadcrumb mush is also delicious. Serve alongside chicken in place of rice and vegetables.