3535. BACON and CHICKEN LIVER PATE

8 oz. organic bacon
1 pound pastured chicken livers, rinsed and dried
5 garlic cloves
2¼ teaspoons dried thyme
2¼teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/3 cup bacon grease
herbs for garnish (optional)

Equipment: Food processor

In a medium pan, cook all the bacon until crisp and set aside on a plate. Pour most of the bacon grease into a measuring cup, but leave enough behind to leave the bottom of the pan well-coated. In the same pan, add the garlic and sautee for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken livers, thyme and rosemary. Cook until the livers are no longer pink in the center. Remove everything from the pan and set aside to cool for a few minutes. While you’re waiting for the livers to cool, add enough coconut oil (or oil of your choice) to the bacon grease to equal 1/3 cup. Add liver mixture, bacon, salt and 1/3 cup fat to the food processor. If desired, you can keep a few pieces of bacon out to use as a garnish. Process the mixture until it forms a paste. Transfer to bowls, add garnish if desired, and serve immediately. We love to cut carrots in to long “chips” and use them as crackers.


bacon recipe source: Heather Dessinger, Mommypotamus (@mommypotamus)

3151. CHICKEN LIVERS with BACON and PEPPER JELLY

serves 4-6


24 chicken livers
12 slices bacon
1/4 cup pepper jelly
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the broiler. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.

Rinse the chicken livers. Cut the bacon strips, crosswise, in half. Cook the livers and bacon in the pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove, drain, and cool for a few minutes on paper towels. Roll the chicken livers and bacon on the paper towels to dry them.

Whisk the pepper jelly, lemon juice, green onion, and salt together in a small bowl. Roll the chicken livers in the pepper-jelly mixture to coat well. Place each liver atop a half-slice of bacon and roll it up. Skewer 4-6 bacon-wrapped livers together on metal or bamboo skewers, leaving about 1/2 inch between each liver.

Place the skewers on the broiler rack and broil until the bacon is crispy on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and broil for another 3-4 minutes, or until the second side turns crispy.

Remove livers from skewers and serve, as is, as an appetizer. Or unload the skewers on top of red beans and rice for a unique alternative to sausage.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food; New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang; p. 62

3097. SWISS CHARD and BACON-WRAPPED PORK GAYETTES

makes 16 gayettes


2 cups cooked Swiss chard leaves
1 large leaf sorrel (optional)
1 cup chopped white portions of leeks or onions
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons beef consomme
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/2 lb. chicken or pork liver
2 lb. ground pork, half lean and half fat
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
4 slices bacon

Squeeze chard, and chop with sorrel (if available). Stew the leeks or onions in the oil and butter until wilted, 5-10 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds, mix in chard, and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until moisture is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat consomme and dissolve gelatin in it; set aside. Finely chop or grind liver, add to pork along with all the spices, consomme, and chard; mix thoroughly. (Saute a small amount, taste, and correct seasonings if necessary.)

Chill the mixture; then form into either 2-3-inch balls or thick patties. Place on a buttered baking pan. Cut bacon strips into 16 pieces and place one on each gayette. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes, turning once, if desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Victory Garden Cookbook, by Marian Morash, p. 308; Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1982

3093. BACON and LIVER APPETIZERS

makes 16 appetizers


3/4 cup chicken livers
2 hard-cooked eggs
chopped chives or finely grated onion, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cognac (optional)
8 slices bacon, cut in half

Cook the chicken livers in a small amount of boiling, salted water until barely done, five to eight minutes. Rub the livers and hard-cooked eggs through a fine sieve or use a food mill. Blend well and mix with the remaining ingredients except the bacon. Chill. Spread the mixture on the strips of bacon. Roll and fasten with toothpicks. Grill under a preheated broiler until the bacon is crisp. Serve hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, pp. 15-16; New York & Evanston: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1961

2549. PATE MOUSSE with BACON and WALNUTS

yields three cups

8 slices bacon, diced

1 pound chicken livers 

½ cup brandy 

¾ cup heavy or whipping cream 

1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped

¼ cup mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

Large pinch ground nutmeg 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 

crumbled crisp bacon and chopped fresh Italian parsley, or whole walnut meats and chopped parsley (garnish)

One day before serving, fry the diced bacon in a medium-size skillet until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sauté the livers in the hot bacon fat over medium-high heat until brown on the outside but still pink inside, 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve. Pour the brandy into the skillet over medium heat and stir, scraping loose browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the cream and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup. Process the livers, onion, and reduced cream in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, thyme, nutmeg, salt to taste, and lots of pepper. Process until smooth. Add the diced bacon, walnuts, and 3 tablespoons parsley and process just until blended. Transfer the liver mixture to a crock or decorative serving dish and refrigerate covered overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Garnish the pate with crumbled bacon and parsley or walnuts and parsley. Serve with crusty bread or assorted crackers.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, for Cookstr

2353. PASTA with CHICKEN LIVERS, BACON and SAGE

10 oz chicken livers
4 oz smoked bacon, 4-5 slices
4-6 shallots, about 8oz
15-20 fresh or frozen sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz fresh tagliatelle

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Slice shallots. Snip or cut sage leaves in half or quarters. Trim chicken livers if needed and cut in half. Sauté bacon in a large nonstick skillet until brown and crisp. Remove, tear into pieces and set aside. If there is a lot of fat, remove all but 1 tablespoon. Add shallots to skillet and sauté until tender and starting to brown. Remove and add to bacon. Add olive oil to skillet. Turn heat up to medium-high, add sage and livers to pan. Sauté 5-8 minutes, livers should still be pink in the center. You may have to do the liver in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Return all liver, shallots and bacon to the pan and heat through. Add the cooked, drained pasta and toss in the skillet, with a tablespoon or 2 of water to help get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Put onto a platter and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Katie, Thyme for Cooking, January 15, 2008

2006. BACON-WRAPPED STUFFED TURKEY BALLOTINE with GARLIC and SAFFRON MASHED POTATOES, CRAB APPLE JELLY GRAVY and ROASTED GREEN BEANS

serves 4-6


For the turkey ballotine
3lb 4 oz. large turkey breast crown (bones removed, skin left on)
12 rashers streaky bacon, skin removed and stretched thin with the edge of a knife
14 oz. minced veal shoulder
1 chicken liver, chopped
1½ oz. unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cornflour
5fl oz. milk
2 free-range egg whites, beaten
1½ oz. pistachio nuts, shells removed, halved
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 small green pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the creamed garlic and saffron mashed potatoes
2lb 4 oz. floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and quartered
3fl oz. single cream
1 pinch saffron strands, crushed
2 oz. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the crab apple jelly gravy
reserved juices from the turkey ballotine (see above)
1 tablespoon ready-made crab apple jelly
1 oz. butter

For the roasted green beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zest only
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 lb 2oz fine green beans, topped and tailed

For the turkey ballotine: Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Lay the bacon out in strips on a sheet of cling film, with the edges overlapping slightly so there are no gaps between each rasher. Slice the turkey breast crown in half horizontally (but do not slice it all the way through) and open it out like a book. Lay the turkey meat over the bacon layer, cover the top with cling film and beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until thin. Set aside. Place the minced veal shoulder in a food processor, add the chopped chicken liver and blend until very smooth. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the cornflour until well combined and there are no lumps. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over a medium-low heat for a few minutes, or until thickened to form a roux. Set aside to cool for five minutes. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the minced veal and chicken livers and mix well to combine. Fold in the beaten egg whites, halved pistachio nuts, sea salt, ground white pepper, chopped green pepper, nutmeg and sage leaves. Mix well to combine. Peel away the cling film from the top of the turkey and spread the mixture in a thick line along the length of the turkey at one end. Using the cling film as a guide, fold the bacon and turkey over the stuffing and roll up tightly. Remove the cling film and then wrap the turkey roll tightly in two layers of aluminium foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the base of a roasting tin, add the wrapped turkey ballotine, cover the tin with foil and roast in the oven for 1½-2 hours.

For the creamed garlic and saffron mashed potatoes: Place the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Heat the cream and saffron into a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside to infuse. Melt the butter in a pan and add the crushed garlic. Gently fry over a low heat for 3-4 minutes (do not allow the garlic to brown). Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan over a high heat to drive off any excess moisture. Mash with a potato masher, then mix in the saffron-infused cream and garlic butter. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the turkey is cooked, remove the foil and pour off the juices from the roasting tin into a small pan. Preheat the grill to high. Place the ballotine under the grill for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly, until the ballotine is golden-brown all over. Set aside to rest in a warm place.

For the crab apple jelly gravy: Reduce the juices from the turkey ballotine over a high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced and thickened. Stir in the crab apple jelly and butter until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Keep warm.

For the roasted beans: Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the lemon zest. Allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Stir in the herbs and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Place the green beans into a roasting tray and drizzle over the lemon-infused oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss well to coat the green beans evenly in the oil. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the beans are tender and starting to turn golden-brown.

To serve: Reheat the turkey ballotine in the oven briefly if needed, then carve into thick slices. Spoon the mashed potato onto the centre of the serving plates, then top with a slice or two of the turkey ballotine. Scatter the roasted green beans around the edges of the plate, then spoon the gravy over and around.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Hairy Bikers, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, BBC-Food

1991. CHICKEN LIVER PATE with WALNUTS, BACON and ARMAGNAC

1 cup walnuts
1/3 lb bacon, diced
2 medium or 1 large onion, diced
2 apples, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs chicken livers
1/4 cup Armagnac
3 tablespoons butter, softened

In a large dry pan, toast the walnuts over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, until they are fragrant. Do not walk away, or the nuts are sure to burn and you'll have to start again. Pour the toasted nuts into the bowl of your food processor and set aside - don't grind them now or you'll end up with walnut butter.

In the same pan, cook the diced bacon until the fat begins to render, three or four minutes. Add the onions and apples, sprinkle with salt, and cook a few minutes more. Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are cooked through. Turn off the heat and pour the Armagnac into the pan, using it to scrape up some of the brown bits from the bottom. Don't let the Armagnac boil off - you'll want some of that liquid when you puree the pate.

Pour the contents of the frying pan into the food processor with the walnuts, add a pinch more salt and a good deal of pepper, and process until smooth. Let sit until mostly cool, then add the butter in small pieces and process again until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl or crock, cover tightly, and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Erika Kerekes, LA Cooking Examiner, October 5, 2009

1843. DUCK and BACON PATE

serves 12-14 as an appetizer


2 duck breasts (about 1 lb.), trimmed of skin and fat
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons orange liqueur,such as Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
9 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 lb. boneless pork shoulder, chilled
3⁄4 lb. fatback, chilled
1⁄4 lb. chicken livers
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves plus 8 sprigs
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon piment d'Espelette or paprika
4 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
1⁄3 cup shelled pistachios
3 tablespoons dried green peppercorns
12–15 slices bacon

Cut the duck breasts into 1⁄2" cubes. Transfer duck, 1 finely chopped clove garlic, orange liqueur, 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, and 3 torn bay leaves to a small bowl; stir to coat the duck pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, to allow the flavors to come together. (The longer the duck marinates, the better the pâté will taste.) Cut the pork shoulder and the fatback into thin sheets. Cut sheets lengthwise into 1⁄8"-wide strips. Cut strips crosswise into 1⁄8" cubes. Mound the pork and fatback into separate piles on the cutting board and finely chop them by running a chef's knife over the piles several times; transfer pork and fat to bowls and set aside in the refrigerator to let chill.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, finely chop the remaining garlic. Scrape the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula. Add chicken livers and pulse until puréed. Add reserved pork and fat. In short bursts, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse hamburger meat, about 20 pulses. Transfer pork–liver mixture to a large bowl. Add eggs, chopped thyme, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, piment d'Espelette, and salt. Mix the ingredients together with your hands until well combined. Test the mixture for seasoning by heating remaining olive oil in an 8" skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer a pinch of the mixture to skillet and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Taste; adjust seasoning accordingly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, to allow the meats to cure and the flavors to come together.

When you're ready to assemble the pâté, remove bay leaves from duck mixture; discard. Using a spoon, fold duck mixture and any juices from marinade into the forcemeat along with the pistachios and peppercorns; set aside in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 1 1⁄2-qt. rectangular terrine mold with 4 evenly spaced thyme sprigs and 3 bay leaves. Place bacon crosswise along the bottom and up the sides of the mold, covering the herbs.

Spoon the meat–duck mixture into the terrine mold and gently smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Lay 4 strips bacon lengthwise across the top of the pâté. Cover bacon with remaining thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover the top of the pâté with 2 sheets of aluminum foil; crimp foil around edges of the mold to form a tight seal.

Heat oven to 325°. Transfer terrine mold to a 9" x 13" baking dish. Transfer dish to middle rack of the oven. Pour in enough boiling water that it reaches 1⁄2" up the sides of the terrine. Bake the pâté until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 158°, about 2 hours. Transfer baking dish to a rack; remove foil. Cut out 2 rectangles of cardboard to fit inside rim of terrine mold. Wrap cardboard rectangles in foil and place them over pâté. Place three 15-oz. soup cans atop cardboard; let sit in water bath for 1 hour; remove. (Weighting makes the pâté easier to slice.) Refrigerate pâté (in its mold) for at least 1 day and up to 4 days. To serve, slide a knife along edges of pâté to loosen it. Invert the pâté onto a cutting board and slide a butter knife along one short edge to free the pâté from the mold. Cut into 3⁄4" slices and serve with baguette, dijon mustard, and cornichons.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Saveur, Issue #116

1819. CHICKEN BACON WALNUT TERRINE

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 large garlic clove, crushed
½ slice bread
1 egg
12 ounces bacon finely chopped
8 ounces chicken livers finely chopped
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg & clove
8 long strips of lean bacon, rind removed
salt and pepper

Cut chicken breasts into thin strips and season lightly. Mash garlic, bread & egg together then add in the chopped bacon, liver, walnut, sherry, spices. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lined the bacon strips inside a 1.5 pound loaf pan, then pack in half of the meat mixture. Lay chicken strips on top and spread the rest of the meat mixture over. Cover the pan with lightly greased foil, seal well and press down very firmly. Place terrine in a roasting pan filled (halfufll) with water and bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hour or until firm to the touch. Place weight on top of the cooked terrine and let it cool completely. Drain off excess fat/liquid while terrine is warm. When it’s really cold, turn out the terrine and cut thick slices.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Wood Family Vineyards, 770 Cedar Mountain Drive, Livermore, California 94550

1455. CHICKEN LIVERS with BACON, PICKLED ONIONS, ZANTE GRAPES, and WATERCRESS

serves two


FOR THE PICKLED ONIONS:
1 1/4 cups champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
2 bay leaves
1 small dried red chile
5 black peppercorns
A few pinches salt
6 small yellow onions, peeled, sliced into 1/4"–1/2"-thick rings and separated, ends discarded

FOR THE SALAD:
2 oz. sliced bacon, cut crosswise into about 1" pieces
2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. chicken livers, trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons whole zante or 6 halved seedless red flame grapes
2 small handfuls watercress
1/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons oloroso sherry

For the pickled onions: Combine 1 1/4 cups water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, chile (broken in half if you like a spicier pickle), peppercorns, and salt in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and add onions. Gently stir the crowded onions as the brine returns to a simmer, then simmer them for 45 seconds. Pour onions and brine into clean jars and allow to cool. Tightly cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 day and up to 6 months.

For the salad: Put bacon into a medium skillet and cook over medium heat until just crisp. Set bacon aside, reserving rendered fat in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and add 1 1/2 tbsp. of the oil. Add livers, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until they are browned on each side and faintly rosy on the inside, 1–1 1/2 minutes per side. Stir in bacon, grapes, and 8–10 ringlets of the pickled onions (save remaining onions for another use).

Toss watercress with vinegar and 1/4 tsp. of the oil, then divide between 2 plates. Spoon half the livers, bacon, grapes, and onions onto each plate. Deglaze skillet with sherry over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, then add remaining oil, swirling skillet over the heat. Spoon sauce over livers and salad and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Saveur, Issue #77

192. CHICKEN LIVER KABOBS with DRIED FRUIT, BACON, and BAY LEAVES

makes 6 servings


¾ cup dried pitted prunes
¾ cup dried apricots
18 whole bay leaves
12 oz. bacon
1 ½ lb. chicken livers, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 tablespoons cream sherry
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the prunes and apricots in a small saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the bay leaves in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak 5 minutes to soften; drain and set aside.

Prepare the fireplace or grill for cooking.

Cut the bacon slices into lengths just long enough to wrap around each prune and apricot. Wrap all the prune and apricots in bacon. Have 6 metal skewers. Thread one skewer first with a bacon-wrapped apricot, then a chicken liver half, then a bacon-wrapped prune, and finally a bay leaf. Repeat the process for 3 sets on each skewer.

In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, anchovy paste, sherry, and vinegar until smooth. Gradually whisk in the oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush the kabobs lightly with some of the vinaigrette.

Grill the kabobs about 4 inches above the hot coals, basting with the vinaigrette, until the bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve at once (accompanied by rice pilaf).


courtesy of: Cold Weather Cooking, by Sarah Leah Chase. New York: Workman Publishing, 1990, pp. 293-294