Dad's Home Fries

This recipe was given to me by a Vermont innkeeper who made the best breakfasts I've had outside my own kithen.

Pre-Cooking the potatoes:

The best potatoes for home fries are red potatoes, cut in half and steamed or boiled with the skin on, the night before. But any potato, baked or boiled at least the day before and refrigerated, will do.

1 or more cooked potatoes
1 medium onion
1 shallot (optional)
Real butter
Good olive oil
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 250º
( if you will be making more than one
    pan full and need to keep them warm before
   serving)

Slice potatoes about ¼ inch thick
  (thicker if desired)
Place in a single layer on a plate and salt and pepper one side

Cut onion in half length wise, place flat side down and slice into very thin half-circles.
Slice shallot the same way

Heat a cast iron frying pan to medium high. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil
and a tablespoon of butter into hot pan
and immediately add onions and shallots.

Sauté onion until brown and caramelized, then remove from pan.

Add more olive oil and butter and
immediately add a single layer of potatoes, salted side up.

Brown to taste on one side
flip, add some of the onions and brown on remaining side, mixing the onions
with the potatoes.
When browned flip and mix very well before removing, to mix the onion flavor into the potatoes.

Place on a wire rack in a shollow baking pan in the oven. Repeat until all potatoes are done.