3996. DIRTY CHAYOTE and RICE SOUP with BACON

Serves: 4


1T toasted sesame oil

2 small-medium chayote squash, peeled and cubed (about 1″)

1/4 lb good bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced

4 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cook brown basmati rice

sea salt, to taste

Add sesame oil and bacon to a cold Dutch oven or soup pot and heat on a medium high flame until bacon is rendered and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add onion and chayote and sweat veggies until onions become translucent, 5-7 mins, scraping up bacony bits from the pan as you go. Add stock, bay leaf and uncooked rice. Bring to a rolling boil; then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-35 mins or until chayote is very tender. Add salt to taste, if necessary.

bacon recipe source: Emily Stoffel, The Pig + Quill (@thepigandquill), December 20, 2012

3021. JASMINE TEA GLAZED ALASKAN SALMON with HOISIN-BRAISED BACON, GREEN RICE and ORANGE-CASHEW SALAD

yields eight servings


Jasmine tea glaze:
1 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake
2 tablespoons sugar
3 bags black jasmine tea
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Hoisin-braised bacon:
1 lb. slab bacon
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken stock, hot
1/3 cup hoisin sauce

Green rice:
3 cups chicken stock, hot
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Orange-cashew salad:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup julienned napa cabbage
1 cup julienned radicchio
3/4 cup toasted cashews
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
8 pieces wild Alaskan salmon, about 8 oz. each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For the jasmine tea glaze: Combine the mirin, sake and sugar in a pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced by two-thirds to a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and steep the tea bags for 5 minutes. Stir in the soy and set aside.

For the hoisin-braised bacon: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Score the fat side of the bacon in a crisscross pattern. Heat the oil over high heat in a skillet, add the bacon fat-side down, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until a rich brown color is obtained, 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 10 minutes more. Drain off the fat and add the chicken stock to come two-thirds of the way up the bacon slab. Braise in the oven for 45 minutes, and then brush with the hoisin and cook for 30 minutes more. Try to keep the level of chicken broth the same throughout braising.

Remove and let cool in the pan, and then remove the bacon and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Strain the liquid and return to the pan. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, about 30 minutes, and then stir in bacon. Cook until the bacon crisps and is well coated. Remove and let cool.

For the green rice: Puree 1 cup stock, the basil, chives, cilantro and mint in a food processor until smooth. Saute the onions in the oil in a saucepan until softened, and then add the rice and lightly toast. Add the butter, herb puree, remaining stock and some salt and black pepper, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Remove from the heat and keep covered.

For the salad: Combine the vinegar, mustard, sweet soy and some salt and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream. Toss in the cabbage, radicchio, cashews and oranges.

For the salmon: Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in large skillet over high heat and saute the salmon over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side. Add the tea glaze and cook for 45 seconds. Arrange the salmon over bacon slices, pour over more tea glaze, and serve with orange-cashew salad and timbales of the green rice.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Peggy Magister, "Crazy Water," America's Best Bite, Cooking Channel

2666. CHILEAN SEA BASS with BACON, YELLOW RICE and MUSHROOMS

decent sized piece of Chilean sea bass fillets
2 slices of fairly lean bacon
4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese
snow peas (mange tout)
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 an onion
a handful of baby portabella mushrooms
1 soft tomato
1/2 large green pepper
1 large dessert spoonfull of tomato paste
crushed garlic
ground cumin
black pepper
chili powder
turmeric

Before anything else, wash the rice until the water runs off clear, and drain it, then turn on the grill. Finely chop the onion, slice the mushrooms, and chop the pepper into half inch squares. Add a cup and a half of water, and half a teaspoon of ground turmeric to the rice, and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the pot. When it boils, turn the heat right down, and jam a piece of kitchen roll under the lid to give a good seal. Then start a timer for ten minutes, and put the sea bass under the grill, seasoned with salt and pepper, skin side up.

Fry the onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil until soft. When they're close to cooked add a dessert spoon of ground cumin, half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and a quarter teaspoon of ground chili. Mix the spices in and fry a little longer. Now chop up the tomato, and add that and the tomato paste. Stir in boiling water to adjust the consistency to a thickish sauce. Add the green pepper and garlic, and salt to taste. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally.

When the first ten minutes expires, turn off the heat under the rice, turn over the sea bass, and start the timer again for another ten minutes. Bring the snow peas to the boil in a pot with a lid in just a little water. Put the lid on and turn the heat down.

After another five minutes, put the bacon strips over the fish, and continue to grill. When the second timer expires, put the mozzarella slices over the bacon, and continue to grill. Heat the plates, and serve each with a portion of rice, snow peas, and sauce, arranged as gaudily as you like. Take the sea bass out from the grill, divide it in two pieces with a sharp knife so it doesn't disintegrate, and add to the plates.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Brits Eye View, Tanzania

2342. BASMATI RICE with APPLE, BACON and SAGE

2 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. uncured bacon
2 1/2 lbs. apples, a mixture of sweet and tart works best, diced
3 shallots, chopped
1 1/2 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped

Wash the basmati rice in a bowl or large measuring cup with a pouring spout. Pour off the water and wash again. Repeat till the water is mostly clear.

Place the rice, the salt, 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup of the apple cider in a heavy pot with a lid.

Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Take the pot off of the heat with the top still on. Let the rice steam, covered, for another 10 minutes before you lift off the lid.

In a saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat till it has browned on both sides. Remove the bacon from the pan to the plate with the paper towels. Clean all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.

Add the shallots, apples, apple cider, maple syrup and vinegar to the pan and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, till the apples and shallots are completely soft. Let cool.

In a big bowl, place the rice and the cooled apple mixture. Crumble in the bacon. Sprinkle in the sage. Carefully, mix everything together. Taste for seasoning. You might find you need some black pepper, a little more vinegar, or a pinch of nutmeg.

Serve garnished with a few small sage leaves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Cate Bruce-Low, Tribeca Yummy Mummy, November 17, 2009

865. BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN with RICE and MOLASSES COFFEE GLAZE

serves 6


1 tomato, sliced thin
1 white onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
1 bottle mojo criollo marinade
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut through the side for stuffing
1/2 lb bacon, sliced

1 box basmati rice, follow instructions
2 large pinches of saffron threads

3 tomatillos
2 cups green peas, frozen
1 large red tomato, quartered
3 habaneros
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water

1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, diced
1 vanilla bean
2 cups black coffee
1 cup molasses
Cornstarch

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange tomato and onion slices on a sheet of parchment paper. Season with drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, thyme leaves and mojo criollo. Bake until almost cooked through. Let cool. Cut almost through chicken breast from the side of the thickest part. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff tomato and onion into chicken breast. Wrap each chicken breast in one slice raw bacon.

Prepare rice using package directions and adding saffron.

Toss tomatillos, peas, tomato, habaneros, and onion in a drizzle of oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Blend in mixer with vinegar and water.

In a saucepan, sauté shallot, garlic and onion with two slices bacon. Add sliced open vanilla bean, coffee, molasses and cornstarch. Cook down. Slurry about 1 tablespoon into sauce, strain and set aside.

In hot sauté pan in a drizzle of olive oil, sear chicken breast. Brown on both sides. Finish chicken in the oven.

Serve with rice and sauces.


courtesy of: Top Chef, Season 3: Miami / Bravo TV

749. BACON, SAUSAGE and BLACK PUDDING PILAF

serves 4


up to 9 oz. bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
up to 9 oz. cooked sausages, roughly chopped
up to 9 oz. piece butcher's black pudding, chopped roughly or crumbled
1lb. 2 oz. cooked basmati or other long grain rice
salt, freshly ground black pepper

In a large pan gently fry the bacon until starting to crisp a little. Add the onion and sweat until soft, golden and translucent. Add the sausage pieces and black pudding and turn up the heat a little so they both crisp up and the onions start to take a little colour (you can burn them brown, but don't burn them black). Throw in the rice and heat through, tossing the pan occasionally until everything is well mixed and nicely hot. Taste and season as you like with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve at once.


courtesy of: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Dorset, England

689. CURRIED CHICKEN with BACON and EGG-FRIED RICE

serves 1


For the curried chicken:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 chicken breast, cut into five pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 streaky bacon rashers
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ onion, sliced

For the bacon and egg-fried rice:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
50g/2oz streaky bacon, chopped
100g/3½oz cooked basmati rice
1 free-range egg, beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. For the curried chicken, place the spices into a bowl and mix well. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge the chicken in the spices to coat all over, shaking off any excess. Wrap each piece of chicken in a rasher of bacon and seal with cocktail sticks. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon-wrapped chicken for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly browned all over. Add the onion and fry for a further minute. Transfer to the oven and cook for ten minutes, or until completely cooked through. For the rice, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Add the rice and stir well, then add the beaten egg. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the egg is set. To serve, place the rice onto a serving plate and top with the curried chicken.


courtesy of: Paul Rankin, "Ready Steady Cook," BBC-UK