Thursday, November 08, 2012

2740. CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON ON A STICK with MARCONA ALMONDS and DRIED CHERRIES


serves twelve


12 slices of thick-sliced apple or hickory wood smoked bacon, skewered lengthwise
2 cups high quality semi sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter 
1/8 teaspoon sea salt 
1/2 cup finely chopped marcona almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries
demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Cook bacon: Preheat the oven to 400. Place skewered bacon on a broiling pan. When oven is ready, bake the bacon until crisp, about 20 - 25 minutes in the top third of your oven. When done, set the pan aside and let the bacon cool. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. 

Prep assembly line: Place bowl of finely chopped almonds and bowl of finely chopped cherries next to the bacon. Place Demerara sugar next to that. When your chocolate is done, you will have an assembly line of bacon, melted chocolate, cherries, almonds, and Demerara sugar.

Prep chocolate: Place semi sweet chocolate and butter in a shallow microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each one, until the chocolate and butter have melted. When melted, add a the sea salt and stir to combine.

Cover bacon in chocolate: Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each piece of bacon with melted chocolate and place on baking sheet. If your bowl of chocolate sauce cools and hardens before you are finished brushing it onto the bacon, just stick it back into the microwave for 20 seconds or so. 

Sprinkle with almonds, cherries, and sugar: When all of the bacon is covered in chocolate, work with one piece at a time and cover with toppings. While the chocolate is still warm, place some of the chopped cherries over the chocolate on one side of a piece of bacon. The cherries are sticky so it is a bit of work. Sprinkle that side with the almonds and a pinch of Demerara sugar. Flip that piece over and do it again so that both sides are sprinkled with cherries, almonds, and Demerara. Do this for each piece of chocolate covered bacon. Refrigerate until hardened. Serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Waverly (member), Food52, New York City

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