3039. LATKES with BACON and APPLE SAUCE

serves 4-6 


For the apple sauce 
2 Bramley apples 
25 grams butter 
1 tablespoon sugar 

For the latke 
1 onion (optional) 
1 kilogram floury potatoes
2 large eggs 
4 tablespoons flour 
oil, for frying 
24 rashers streaky bacon 
maple syrup (optional) 

For the apple sauce: peel, quarter and chop the apples – work quickly as the air will turn them brown. Put in a pan with 100ml water. Cover and bring to the boil. Cook until the apples collapse. Remove form the heat and stir in the butter and sugar.

For the latke: peel and grate the onion on the large hole side of a cheese grater. Peel and grate the potatoes and mix with the onion. Squeeze the mixture dry by pressing the mixture between your hands. Lightly beat the eggs with a generous pinch of salt. Sift over the flour gradually, stirring until the batter is smooth. Add the potatoes and onion and stir well. Heat 1 cm oil in a frying pan. Drop spoonfuls of the latke mixture into the hot oil and flatten a little with the back of the spoon. Lower the heat so that the pancakes cook through evenly. After 2–4 minutes, when the bottom is golden brown and has formed a crust, turn and cook the other side. While the latkes are cooking, preheat the grill. Grill the bacon until crisp.

Serve the latkes with the bacon and apple sauce. Drizzle with maple syrup.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lindsey Bareham, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel

2906. APPLE SAUCE with BACON

serves four


2 pounds apple, fresh and very sour
1 cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
300 grams of apple-smoked bacon
salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel and dice the apples. Put the apples, water, sugar, and thyme into a large saucepan, bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes or until it is like a thick apple sauce. Cut the bacon into cubes. Fry the bacon until golden, then take 1 tbsp of the bacon fat and add to the apple sauce, season the applesauce with salt and pepper. Eat warm with rye bread.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Trina Hahnemann, The Atlantic, December 17, 2009 

2162. PERFECT ROAST PORK BELLY with SAUTEED CABBAGE and BACON, and APPLE SAUCE

serves four


For the pork belly
4lb 4oz boneless pork belly, skin scored
1 onion, cut into chunks
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 celery stick, cut into four pieces
4 sprigs flatleaf parsley
2 sprigs thyme
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
4oz butter
2 tablespoons honey
4fl oz red wine
9fl oz beef stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sautéed cabbage and bacon
2oz butter
4 slices smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced
1 green cabbage, preferably Hispie, finely shredded
5oz Brussels sprouts, finely sliced
3fl oz water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil

For the apple sauce
1oz butter
1 large Bramley apple, peeled, roughly chopped

For the pork belly, place the pork belly, onion, carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, star anise and cinnamon sticks into a large saucepan. Cover with cold water until the pork is just covered. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for two hours. Remove the pork belly from the mixture and place between two heavy baking trays. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours. Preheat the oven to 225C/450F/Gas 8. Remove the pork from the fridge and cut into four squares. Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot, add half of the butter and the pork belly pieces, skin-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn the pork belly pieces over and pour over the honey. Roast the pork belly in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the pork skin is crisp.

Meanwhile, bring the red wine and beef stock to the boil in a saucepan and cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Whisk in the remaining butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile for the sautéed cabbage and bacon, heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming and fry the bacon until crisp and golden-brown. Add the cabbage and Brussels sprouts and stir-fry for a further minute. Add the water and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the cabbage is just tender. Stir in the chervil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the apple sauce, heat the butter and Bramley apples in a lidded saucepan over a gentle heat. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the apples have collapsed and are soft and fluffy. Stir the mixture to form a smooth purée.

To serve, spoon the sautéed cabbage onto serving plates and top with a piece of pork belly. Spoon over the red wine sauce and serve the apple sauce alongside.


bacon recipe courtesy of: James Martin, Saturday Kitchen, BBC Food

2057. ROAST PARTRIDGE with BACON and KALE, SPICED APPLE SAUCE and WALNUT SAUCE

serves four


For the roast partridge
1 tbsp olive oil
4 whole oven-ready partridges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 rashers streaky bacon
5oz curly kale leaves, roughly chopped
2oz unsalted butter

For the spiced apple sauce
2lb 4oz sweet red apples, peeled, cores removed, each apple cut into eight wedges
17fl oz dry cider
9oz caster sugar (approximate measure: see step 6 below)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp mixed spice

For the walnut sauce
1 pint beef stock
3½fl oz walnut oil
1 lemon, juice only

To serve
3½oz whole walnuts, shells removed
½ bunch fresh marjoram, leaves only
3½fl oz rapeseed oil

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Heat the olive oil in a very large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Season the partridges all over, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay one slice of streaky bacon over the breast of each partridge.

When the pan is hot, add the partridges, breast-side down, and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Continue to turn the partridges, cooking until browned on all sides.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the partridges for a further 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. (NOTE: The partridges are cooked through when the juices run clear when the partridges are pierced in the thickest part using a skewer.) Remove from the oven and set aside to rest on a warm plate for five minutes. Reserve the pan and its juices.

Meanwhile, for the spiced apple sauce, bring the apple wedges and cider to the boil in a large frying pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the apple wedges have broken down to the consistency of apple sauce. Strain the softened apple mixture through a fine sieve.

Weigh the strained apples, then weigh out half of the apple weight of sugar (this procedure will give the correct measurement of one part sugar to two parts apple mixture.)

Heat the apple mixture, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice in a saucepan until all of the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes. (NOTE: The apple mixture is ready when a spoonful of the mixture placed onto a plate does not release any liquid.)

Meanwhile, for the walnut sauce, bring the beef stock to a simmer over a low heat. Continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of stock has reduced to 150ml/5fl oz.

Blend the warm, reduced stock and the walnut oil in a food processor until the mixture is thick and glossy. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Set aside.

Blanch the kale in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and refresh in ice cold water. Drain again and set aside.

Just before serving, heat the butter in the frying pan you used to cook the partridge. Remove the bacon from the partridge breasts and chop into pieces. When the butter is foaming, add the bacon and curly kale, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring well, until warmed through.

To serve, mix together the walnuts, marjoram and rapeseed oil in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Spoon the spiced apple sauce into a piping bag. Dot the plate with small spots of spiced apple sauce. Spoon the kale and bacon mixture into the center of each of four serving plates. Carve the legs and breast away from the partridges, placing the meat back onto the carcass for presentation. Place each partridge on top of the kale and bacon mixture. Drizzle over the walnut sauce. Spoon the walnut and marjoram dressing around the edge of each plate.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lawrence Keogh, Saturday Kitchen, BBC-Food