[Photograph: Morgan Eisenberg]

Potatoes and bacon are a natural pair, the tender tuber providing the perfect foil to bacon’s richness and smokiness. Here, small potatoes are tossed with a spicy and smoky seasoning mixture, wrapped in bacon, and roasted until the bacon is crisp and the potatoes are cooked through. The result is an appetizer that’s better than the sum of its delicious parts.

Why It Works

• The seasonings give the potatoes a spicy and smoky complexity.
• The bacon and potatoes cook at the same speed in the oven, so there’s no need to parcook anything.

Ingredients

• 1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon (15ml) adobo sauce
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 24 baby potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds; 680g)
• 12 strips bacon, halved crosswise
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
• Two-Minute Aioli, to serve (see note)

Directions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. 2.

   In a large plastic zipper-lock bag, mix together minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, garlic, oil, smoked paprika, brown sugar, dry mustard, and kosher salt. Add baby potatoes, seal bag, and shake, using your hands to work the seasoning mixture around the potatoes until evenly distributed and potatoes are fully coated.Pour coated potatoes onto prepared baking sheet.

3. 3.

   Wrap a half-strip of bacon around each baby potato and secure with toothpick. Space potatoes evenly across baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender and bacon has crisped, 50-60 minutes.

4. 4.

   Remove toothpicks, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm with aioli on the side for dipping.

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