3980. CURRY CARROT SOUP with CANDIED DOUBLE SMOKED BACON GARNISH

Serves up 8.


Curry Carrot Soup
2 tbsp butter

1 med size sweet onions cut in chunks

½ cup celery preferably the heart with leaves cut in chunks

5 pound peeled carrots cut in chunks

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dijon

1 cup white wine

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

1 tbsp pepper

2 tbsp curry powder

4 cups vegetable stock

water (just to cover vegetables)

2 cups 35% cream

Candied Double Smoked Bacon

2 oz. minced red onions

1 pound bacon

¼ cup maple syrup

Curry Carrot Soup 

In a medium size pot melt the butter and sauté the onions and celery for 3 to 4 minutes; deglaze with white wine.

Add the carrots, vegetable stock, bay leafs, Dijon, salt, pepper, curry powder and add water to cover vegetables.

Bring to a boil; then simmer all ingredients till soft. Approximately 45 minutes.

Remove 2 bay leafs.

Puree in a blender till smooth consistency and finish with the cream.

Candied Double Smoked Bacon

Cut 1 pound bacon in lardon; ½ inch squares and sauté them in a frying pan on high heat; let sit till they start to brown then turn on all four sides.

Place the cooked lardon on paper towel to absorb the grease, wipe your pan dry then bring the bacon back to the pan.

Once they start to heat up again pour ¼ cup maple syrup and bring to a boil; then let reduce slowly so it coats each peace.

Let cool on parchment paper. Use as a garnish for the soup.

bacon recipe source: The Kilted Chef Alain Bosse, NovaScotia.com

3711. CARROT SOUP with SMOKED PAPRIKA and BACON CRUMBLES

6 slices bacon, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced to 1/2-inch rounds
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 to 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade preferred
2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside until needed.

To the pot, add the carrots, shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bacon drippings. Stir and saute on medium heat until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Return heat to medium and simmer until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Working in two batches, pour the carrots and broth into a blender. Puree until completely smooth, adding additional broth if needed. Return the puree back to the pot.

To the puree, add remaining broth until a silky smooth soup consistency is reached. Add cream and paprika and stir. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until heated through and flavors blend. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

Pour into serving bowls, and garnish with bacon crumbles and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve.

bacon recipe source: Meredith Steele, in sock monkey slippers (@SMonkeySlippers), September 11, 2013

2021. SPICY BRAISED BACON with SPAGNA BEANS and TREVISO RADICCHIO

serves six


2 cups Spagna beans or cannellini beans
1 head garlic, split, plus 8 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 russet potato, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 heads Treviso radicchio, sliced
12 slices spicy braised bacon, plus some of the braising liquid (recipe below)

Cooking the beans is a 2-day process. Soak the beans in enough water to cover them overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, strain and rinse the beans. Place them in a pot large enough to cover with 6 cups of water and add the split head of garlic, the carrot, celery, and potato. The peeled potato will soften the skin on the beans so that they don't burst when they are cooking. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, until tender. Remove from the heat, then remove the vegetables and discard them. Season the beans with salt and black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Transfer to the beans to a clean pot and slowly warm them over medium-low heat. Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the sliced garlic. Once the garlic becomes aromatic, add the radicchio. Cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.

Divide the beans among 6 warm bowls, then place several slices of the braised bacon in each bowl and spoon some warm braising liquid over the top. Drape the radicchio over the bacon, drizzle olive oil on top, and serve.

NOTES: Spagna beans are Italian beans with long, green, slightly curved broad pods containing 5 to 6 large white beans. They are sometimes called butter beans. The Spagna beans here require two days of preparation, so be sure to plan ahead. You can use cannellini beans if Spagna beans are hard to find.

Treviso is one type of radicchio. It is red in color, with an elongated shape similar to endive, and it has a slightly bitter flavor. You may substitute it with any radicchio available in your market.


Spicy Braised Bacon

makes two pounds

1 meaty boneless pork belly (about 2 lb.), skinned
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Kosher salt
vegetable oil, for sauteing
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
1 fennel head, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
a few sprigs of rosemary
a few springs of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups San Marzano (plum) tomatoes
2 cups white wine
2 gallons pork or beef stock

Portion the pork belly into 6 equal-size pieces. In a spice grinder, combine the black pepper, chili flakes, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and finely grind them. Season the pork belly with salt, then rub with the spice rub. Let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrot, celery, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves and saute for about 20 minutes. Once the vegetables are caramelized, add the tomatoes, cook for 25 minutes, then deglaze with the white wine. Once the liquid is reduced by three-quarters, add the pork or beef stock and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare a grill to cook over direct high heat. Grill the pork belly until it begins to render some of its fat and becomes dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, and turn and repeat.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the vegetables well and then strain the braising liquid into a bowl; discard the vegetables. Transfer the pork belly to a nonreactive ovenproof pan and cover it with the reserved braising liquid. Bake until tender, about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

NOTE: Tightly sealed cured bacon keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month.


Spicy Braised Bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef/Owner Chris Cosentino, Boccalone, Boccalone Salumeria, Ferry Building Marketplace, Shop #21, San Francisco, California 94111 | I Love Bacon! by Jayne Rockmill, p. 4. Andrew McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2010

main recipe courtesy of: Chris Cosentino, Incanto, 1550 Church Street, San Francisco, California 94131, 415-641-4500 | I Love Bacon! by Jayne Rockmill, p. 4. Andrew McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2010

1993. CARROT, BACON and MISO SOUP

makes 4 servings


2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (may substitute low-sodium chicken broth)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2/3 cup total)
2 slices uncooked bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (from about 1/2 rib)
1 teaspoon medium-strength miso or equal parts red and white miso
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, then cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.

Remove from the heat. Use a potato masher to mash the carrots in the saucepan; or use a slotted spoon to transfer the carrots to a plate and mash them thoroughly, then return them to the saucepan.

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until it is crisp. Remove from the heat and add the chopped celery, then add both (with as little fat as possible) to the carrot soup.

Bring the soup back to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat, stir in the miso and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple, Elegant Recipes for Contemporary Tastes by Harumi Kurihara. HP Trade, 2007 | The Washington Post, January 30, 2008

1262. CARROT SOUP with BACON and DILL DUMPLINGS

yields 4 servings


for Dumplings
4 bacon strips, cut small
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 boned chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large potato, peeled, boiled and riced
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh dill

for Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 onions, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 lb carrots, peeled
1 cup milk

Prepare the dumplings: Cook bacon in a skillet over low heat until tender, not crisp. Add onions, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until onions are soft, about 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve. Place chicken in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, along with the allspice, potato and egg. Process until chicken is ground, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and process until mixture is thick and sticky. Stir in the reserved sauteed onion and bacon, along with the dill. Place mixture in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the soup: Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Cook onions with salt and pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop carrots in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add carrots to soup. Bring to a boil, return to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain back into pot, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all the juices. Shape dumplings with 2 oval soup spoons dipped in hot water or with slightly wet hands. They should be ovals or balls, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Drop dumplings carefully into simmering soup and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until they float to the surface. Add milk, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Too Hot Tamales World Tour, with Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, Food Network