3737. AGED BEEMSTER and SMOKED BACON BURGER with FRENCH FRIES

serves four

Burger Patties

1 tablespoons canola oil

1½ lbs lean ground beef, rolled into 4 (6-oz) balls

4 slices double-smoked bacon

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 slices aged Beemster

4 brioche buns

1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter

8 slices hot banana peppers

4 leaves Boston lettuce

¼ cup mayonnaise

French Fries

2 lbs russet potatoes, washed, skin on

A deep fryer or pot of canola oil set to 325ºF

Salt, to taste

Burger Patties: Add canola oil to a cast iron frying pan on medium high heat and add two 6-oz balls of ground beef to the pan. Add the double smoked bacon to the same pan and using a spatula press down the chuck to flatten them into a patty shape. Add a generous amount of ground salt and pepper and flip the burgers over, cook for 3 minutes per side. Add sliced Beemster to the warm burger and top with the crispy bacon. Toast the brioche buns in the oven with a touch of butter. To finish the burgers add your favourite toppings, my choice would be hot banana peppers, mayonnaise and Boston lettuce. Repeat with remaining patties.

French Fries: Cut potatoes into even and uniform pieces, about 3-inch x ¼-inch. Soak fries in the cold water for about 30 minutes. This removes some of the excess starch and surface sugars which can burn in the frying process. Drain french fries from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Heat a heavy stockpot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer with oil to 325ºF. Carefully, add 2 handfuls of fries to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the French fries. Blanch until fries are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove fries, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are blanched. Raise heat of oil to 350ºF. Cook French fries again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, lightly season in a bowl with salt. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.

bacon recipe source: Craig Harding, Chef in Your Ear, Food Network Canada

3601. BACON CHEESEBURGER with THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING (aka 25 DEGREES BURGER)

serves four


2 pounds of ground beef 80% lean/20% fat blend

8 slices of apple wood smoked bacon
8 ounces Crescenza cheese
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
4 brioche buns, or alternative artisanal bread, toasted
8 tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing (recipe below)
Handful of washed wild arugula

Thousand Island dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 ounce pickles, minced
1/2 ounce shallots, minced
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat a griddle or sauté pan over medium high heat, coat with olive oil. In a bowl, combine beef and salt and pepper to taste to form four 5-inch patties. Cook patties for about 8-9 minutes in pan, flipping once, to desired doneness. While burgers are cooking, place all the bacon in a skillet, cook for about 5 minutes on each side, reserve. Just before patties are cooked, place the Crescenza and Gorgonzola on top until melted; remove from heat and let rest.

Mix ingredients for the Thousand Island dressing in a bowl and set aside.

Halve the toasted brioche buns, then spread dressing on each side. Layer the bacon and arugula to complete the burger. Serve warm.


bacon recipe source: 25 Degrees Restaurant, 412 Walnut Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92648; Katherine Spiers, KCET, May 7, 2013

3604. CHEESY BRIOCHE ROLLS with BACON and ROSEMARY

1 lb. of bread flour, sifted
5 eggs, beaten + 1 more for the egg wash
5-6 slices of bacon (or more)
1.5 oz of fresh yeast or 1 packet of dry yeast
1/2 cup of whole or 2% milk
1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Crumble yeast into a small bowl, add sugar & lukewarm milk and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 15 minutes while you cook the bacon. Slice bacon into thin strips and sauté over medium heat until cooked through but not crispy. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the fat, then drain fat and set aside to cool. Sift flour into large bowl, add the baking powder, add eggs, salt and foamy yeast mixture, and stir or knead into a doughy consistency. Add in reserved bacon, bacon fat, Parmesan and rosemary, and knead 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased warm bowl, cover with a clean towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for at least 90 minutes or longer, until practically doubled in size. Flour a clean surface. Tip dough out of the bowl, and knead for another 15 minutes or so. Divide dough in even balls the size of a small apple, and space apart on a lined baking sheet or place in a greased muffin tin. Cover with a clean, damp towel and allow to rise a bit more over 20 minutes. Brush rolls with a quick egg wash made out of 1 beaten egg and a splash of water. This will make them shiny. Bake rolls for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on the outside.


bacon recipe source: The Hungry Belgian, September 24, 2013

2590. PEPPERED BACON and QUAIL EGG BREAKFAST SANDWICH

makes one sandwich


2 strips peppered bacon
10-12 quail eggs
brioche roll or roll of choice
fresh chives or micro chives for garnish (optional)

Get a seasoned cast-iron skillet or sauté pan hot on the stove. Mince the bacon and add to a pan over medium heat briefly to render out some of the remaining fat. Crack the quail eggs into a bowl. Gently pour in the quail eggs and season with salt and pepper. Once the egg whites have set, flip them as one piece with a spatula. Cook briefly until the yolks are cooked to your preference. Cut the egg “patty” as necessary to get it to fit in the bun.  If desired, garnish with chives or micro chives. Serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Matthew, for MarxFoods.com, 111 W. John Street, #144, Seattle, Washington 98119, June 18, 2011

2526. BACON BURGERS on BRIOCHE BUNS

yields eight servings


2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 slices of thick-cut bacon (12 ounces)
3 pounds mixed ground chuck and ground sirloin
12 ounces brie, sliced
8 brioche burger buns, split

Preheat the oven to 400°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast until softened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon juice. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and break each strip in half. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Form the ground meat into eight patties. Season generously with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat until well-browned on the bottom, 5 minutes. Flip the burgers, mound the brie on top and grill for 4 minutes longer, until the cheese is slightly melted and the burgers are medium-rare. Spread the lemon mayonnaise on the cut sides of the buns; set the burgers on the bottoms and top with the bacon and onions. Close the burgers and serve right away.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tyler Florence, "Pairing of the Day: October 2010, Tyler Florence's Recipe-Contest Winners," Food & Wine, October 2010

1789. BABY BRIOCHES with CHICKEN SALAD and BACON

makes 16 hors d’oeuvres


4 slices of applewood-smoked bacon
16 mini brioche rolls (about 2 inches)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, minced
1/2 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley, plus 32 large flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken—skin and bones discarded, chicken cut into 1/3-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (16 slices)

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut each slice into 4 pieces.

Using a paring knife, cut a 1-inch round plug out of the top of each brioche roll. Carefully hollow out the rolls. Set the rolls on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven to refresh them, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the the mayonnaise, celery, shallot, minced parsley and lemon juice. Stir in the diced chicken and season the salad with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken salad into each brioche roll, garnish with parsley leaves and cover with a tomato slice. Top each roll with 1 teaspoon of chicken salad, garnish with the bacon and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Melissa Rubel Jacobson, "The Best Chicken Salad Recipes," Food & Wine, September 2008

1493. BACON, MAINE LOBSTER and TOMATO SLIDERS

makes two servings


1 1/2 lbs. Maine Lobster, shell-on
1/4 teaspoon sesame
1/4 teaspoon fennel
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon Korean chili pepper
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon, plus as needed Sriracha chili sauce
2 bacon strips, cut into thirds
12 thin sliced tomato
6 brioche rolls

Grind sesame, fennel, celery salt and Korean chili pepper until fine. Combine mayonnaise with dry spice blend. Add sriracha. Reserve, refrigerated, at least 15 minutes. Separate claws and tail from body of Maine lobster, reserving body for another use. Cook claws in a pot of boiling water for 9 minutes, and tail for 7 minutes. Remove Maine lobster from boiling water and chill in ice water. Remove Maine lobster meat from shells and chop into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine Maine lobster meat with spiced mayonnaise. Spoon 2 ounces Maine lobster salad in each mini brioche roll. Top each with a piece of bacon and 2 thin slices of tomato and skewer with bamboo skewers. Plate 3 sliders per serving, and serve with additional sriracha if desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Patrick Feury, Nectar, 1091 Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312, (610) 725-9000 | Maine Lobster Council, 45 Memorial Circle, Suite 102, Augusta, Maine 04330