3397. BACON COLLAR with CIDER and APPLE BUTTER

serves 4-6 


1-2 tablespoons olive oil  
2.25 kg bacon collar, rolled and tied 
1 bottles cider 
500 ml chicken stock 
3 bay leaves 
3 sprigs thyme 
120 grams butter 
2 onions, finely chopped 
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks 
200 grams Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof casserole dish. Season the bacon collar with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sear in the hot dish until golden-brown all over.

Pour in two-thirds of the cider and all of the stock. Bring to a simmer and add two of the bay leaves and the leaves from two sprigs of the thyme. Place into the oven and cook for an hour and a half, or until the bacon collar is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.

Melt 20g (1 1/3 tablespoons) of the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the apples and the remaining herbs and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the remaining cider and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the apples have broken down.

Add a few spoonfuls of the cooking juices from the pork into the pan with the apples. Beat 80g of the butter into the apples until well combined.

Meanwhile, tip the cabbage into a large pan and place over a high heat. Add a dash of water along with the remaining butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the leaves begin to soften.

Remove the pork from the casserole and slice. Serve with the buttered cabbage and a few spoonfuls of the apple butter. Drizzle over some more bacon cooking juices.


bacon recipe source: Matt Tebbutt, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel/UK-TV

3247. HADDOCK, BACON and PEA PIE

serves six


Filling
450 gram-500 gram haddock fillets
450 gram-500 gram smoked haddock fillets
250ml milk
1 bay leaf
sea salt and black pepper
150 grams unsmoked streaky bacon

Sauce
60 grams unsalted butter
50 grams plain flour
150ml dry cider

150 grams crème fraîche

150 grams frozen petits pois

200 grams cooked and peeled king prawns

6 tablespoons coarsely chopped 

flat-leaf parsley

Mash
1.5kg maincrop potatoes
100 grams crème fraîche
50 grams unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks

Have ready a 35cm oval gratin dish (about 2.5 litre capacity) or other equivalent ovenproof dish that affords a large surface for crisping. Arrange the haddock and smoked haddock fillets over the base of a large pan, cutting them to fit. Pour over the milk, tuck in the bay leaf, season and bring to the boil. Partially cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 4 minutes. Strain the cooking liquor into a jug and, once the fish is cool enough to handle, flake it coarsely into a bowl, discarding the skin.

Dice the bacon. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat, add the bacon pieces, separating them out, and fry for 5-7 minutes until golden, stirring frequently. Drain on a double thickness of kitchen paper.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size nonstick pan over a medium heat, add the flour and allow to seethe for a minute. With the pan off the heat, using a wooden spoon or a mini whisk (the kind for making sauces), very gradually work in the cider, the fish cooking liquor, then the crème fraîche. Return to the hob, bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then simmer over a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and if necessary giving a quick whisk until smooth and incorporated. Check the seasoning. Fold in the haddock (discarding any liquid in the bowl), the bacon, peas, prawns and parsley. Transfer to the ovenproof dish, cover with clingfilm and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut up as necessary and cook in a large pan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain in a colander, leave the steam to evaporate for a minute or two, then pass through a mouli-légumes or a sieve back into the pan. Heat the crème fraîche with the butter and some seasoning and beat this into the mash, followed by the egg yolks. Smooth this over the top of the filling, using a spoon to sculpt the surface into peaks. If not cooking straight away, leave to cool, then cover and chill for up to a day.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400F/200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the pie for 35-45 minutes until crusty and nicely golden. Allow a little longer if cooking from chilled.


bacon recipe source: Annie Bell, Daily Mail online, March 5, 2011; Associated Newspapers Limited, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT UK

3154. POT-ROAST PHEASANT with CIDER and BACON

serves four


50 grams butter 

2 pheasants, cleaned

100 grams bacon lardons

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

4 sage sprigs, leaves chopped

2 eating apples, cored and cut into large chunks

500 ml cider

300 ml chicken stock

1 savoy cabbage, finely shredded

100 ml double cream

mashed potato, to serve (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large non-stick flameproof dish. Season the pheasants, add to the dish and brown on all sides. Remove from the dish and set aside. 

Add the bacon, onion, celery and sage to the dish and cook for 10 minutes until the onion is soft and the bacon is crisp. Carefully pour off any excess fat. 

Return the pheasants to the dish and scatter over the apples. Pour over the cider and the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 25 minutes until the birds are cooked through. 

Remove the birds from the dish and keep warm. Return dish to the hob over a high heat. Let the liquid bubble until reduced by half, then add the cabbage, cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cream, check the seasoning, and continue cooking for 1 minute more. Serve the pheasant on top of the cabbage mixture with some mashed potato, if you like.

bacon recipe courtesy of: James Martin, Good Food Magazine, October 2012

3040. OVEN-STEAMED MUSSELS with HARD CIDER and BACON

serves 2-4


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup hard cider
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat oil and bacon in roasting pan until bacon has rendered and is starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add hard cider, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves and bring to boil. Cook until cider is slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add mussels and salt.

Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Cook until most mussels have opened (a few may remain closed), 15-18 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Push mussels to sides of pan. Add heavy cream to center and whisk until melted. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves, sprinkle parsley over mussels, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Andrew Janjigian, "The Best Way to Cook Mussels," Cook's Illustrated, September & October 2013, page 19

2145. WARM SALAD of TEA-SMOKED TROUT with CRISPY BACON, FRISEE and HORSERADISH

serves 6-8


For the tea-smoked trout
6oz demerara sugar
6oz long grain rice
leaves from 14 tea bags
olive oil, to drizzle
11½-12½oz fresh trout, heads removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
3½fl oz fish stock
3½fl oz double cream
2 tablespoons creamed horseradish sauce, from a jar
3½fl oz cider
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad
8oz smoked streaky bacon, rind removed
1oz butter
1 Golden Delicious apple, thinly sliced
7oz frisée lettuce, torn
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the tea-smoked trout, put the sugar, rice and tea leaves into a bowl and mix together. Line a wok with heavy-duty kitchen foil and pour the mixture on top. Cover with another layer of foil, drizzle over some olive oil and place the trout on top. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with another sheet of foil, sealing it tightly around the edges. Place on the hob over a moderate heat and leave the trout to smoke for a few minutes. Set aside. (CAUTION: tea-smoking generates a lot of smoke. Cook in a well-ventilated area.)

For the dressing, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan and continue to boil, uncovered, until reduced by half. Leave to cool.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the creamed horseradish, the cooled fish stock and cider. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the salad, place the bacon on a baking tray and cook in the oven until crisp.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the apple slices until soft and golden.

Remove the bacon from the oven and, when cold enough to handle, break into bite-size pieces.

Arrange the frisée lettuce on serving plates. Scatter the bacon on top, drizzle over some of the dressing, then scatter over the apple slices and chopped herbs. Spoon over the remainder of the dressing and top with the smoked trout. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: James Martin, Stately Suppers, BBC-Food

2074. SOLE poached in CIDER SAUCE with PARSLEY and BACON CRUMBS and CAVOLO NERO

serves two


For the parsley bacon crumbs
3 rashers treacle-cured bacon
small handful parsley, leaves and tender stems only
handful stale breadcrumbs

For the cavolo nero
5oz cavolo nero (Italian kale), thickly shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 garlic clove, finely diced

For the sole
about 10 live mussels, cleaned and debearded
10fl oz good quality dry cider
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely diced
1 fresh bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fillets sole
3½fl oz fish stock
about 5 tablespoons double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the parsley bacon crumbs, fry or grill the bacon until really crisp then drain on kitchen paper. Place in a food processor along with the parsley and breadcrumbs and pulse until you have a crumbly consistency. Set aside.

For the cavolo nero, blanch the cavolo nero in a pan of salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the garlic for one minute until fragrant then add the cavolo nero and fry for 3-4 minutes. Keep warm.

For the mussels, if any of the mussels are open, tap them lightly on a hard surface. If they don't close, discard them.

Place the mussels in a pan with a splash of the cider, cover the pan and steam over a high heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that haven't opened. Remove the meat from the shells and set aside. Discard the shells.

Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots with the bay leaf and thyme for a minute or two. Lay the fish on top of the shallots and pour in enough of the cider and fish stock to just cover the fish (you may not need all of it). Simmer for about three minutes until the fish is opaque and cooked. Carefully remove the fish from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.

Increase the heat to high and boil the liquid for 3-4 minutes until reduce in volume by half. Remove the bay leaf and thyme then stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir the mussels into the sauce then place the fish on top again and cook for a minute or two until heated through.

To serve, place the cavolo nero onto serving plates and top with the sole. Spoon over the sauce and sprinkle with the bacon parsley crumbs.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Hairy Bikers, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, 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

1852. MUSSELS in HARD CIDER with WALLA WALLA ONIONS and BACON

yields 2 main-course servings or 4 side-dish servings


2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Walla Walla onion, cut in half, then into very thin slices
2 pounds mussels, cleaned
3 slices cooked, good-quality bacon, drained and broken into 1-inch pieces
1 cup hard cider
1/2 cup creme fraiche
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until translucent.

Rinse and drain the mussels; discard any whose shells are broken or damaged.

Add the bacon and mussels; stir to coat with the butter, then add the cider and creme fraiche and stir to coat. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the parsley and stir to combine. Divide among individual wide, shallow bowls. Serve hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Washington Post, July 15, 2009 | Jamie Guerin, Whitehouse-Crawford, 55 West Cherry Street, Walla Walla, Washington 99362

1713. CIDER and MUSTARD BACON JOINT

serves four


1 kg bacon joint
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
500 ml cider
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
400 grams potatoes, peeled and diced
500 grams leeks, trimmed and sliced into rings
1 savoy cabbage, trimmed and chopped
300 grams frozen peas
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place the bacon joint in a large, flame-proof casserole dish and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then drain, rinse the bacon joint and return to a clean pan with the oil. Cook for 5 minutes over a high heat to seal the bacon joint all over.

Add the cider to the pan with the bay leaves, mustard and potatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the leeks and cabbage and cook for another 30 minutes. Toss in the peas and parsley and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Lift out the joint and slice thinly. Serve 2 to 3 slices of bacon per person with a serving of the vegetables and juices.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Morrisons, Hilmore House, Gain Lane, Bradford, BD3 7DL

1663. CHICORY braised with BACON, CIDER and GARLIC

serves four


butter
8 smoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
12 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 heads of chicory , halved lengthways
200 ml cider

Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan with a lid and cook the bacon until it starts to go golden at the edges. Add the garlic and cook briefly then scoop everything out. Add the chicory to the pan cut-side down (with a bit more butter if needed) and cook until it gets a really good caramelised colour. Turn the chicory over, add back the bacon and garlic with the cider and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender.


bacon recipe courtesy of: olive magazine, February 2007 | Good Food, Media Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ

1662. BACON CHOPS in CIDER

serves four

4 bacon chops, each weighing about 6 oz.
1 tablespoon prepared English mustard
1 oz. demerara sugar
1/2 pint dry cider
1/2 oz. butter
1 1/2 tablespoon plain flour
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Put chops side by side in a large ovenproof dish. Mix mustard and sugar with cider to make a smooth paste. Spread over chops. Leave for 30 minutes. Bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the butter, flour and remaining cider in a saucepan. Heat, whisking continuously, until the sauce thickens, boils and is smooth. Simmer for 1 - 2 minutes. Season to taste. Pour over chops. Bake for a further 15 minutes, until cooked through. Serve garnished with parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: CookItSimply.com

1609. SMOKED EEL with BACON, APPLES and CIDER

serves two


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices thick-cut bacon
8-10 cm lengths of smoked eel fillets, deboned
1 handful thyme
50 ml dry cider
1 apple
3 tablespoons double cream
watercress, for serving
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the bacon. Fry for 4-6 minutes, or until the bacon is just crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside once cooked.

Peel the skin off the eel and reserve. Cut the flesh into four strips, lengthways, and then cut each length in half.

Add the apple quarters to the bacon pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the flesh turns lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour cider into the pan to deglaze, scraping at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the eel skin to the pan. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the cider has reduced slightly. Add the thyme to the pan.

Pour the cream into the cider, then stir in the mustards. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

To serve, put a small handful of watercress on two serving plates and spoon the apples, eel and bacon alongside. Drizzle the cider and mustard sauce over the top and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Matt Tebbutt, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel, UKTV

1431. CHERVIL-STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN SALAD with SHAVED TURNIPS, BACON and CIDER VINAIGRETTE

serves four


For the cider vinaigrette
2 tablespoons sugar
8¾ fl oz good-quality cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lardons
3 rashers bacon, sliced into lardons

For the herb butter
2¼ oz butter
small bunch fresh chervil, roughly chopped
small bunch fresh chives, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken
1 medium chicken, cut in half down the middle
2¼ fl oz chicken stock

To serve
4 baby turnips, shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
crisp leaves such as Little Gem, chicory and watercress
handful fresh parsley leaves
fresh chives and chervil, chopped, to serve


For the cider vinaigrette, place the sugar in a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until caramelised. Add the cider and cook until reduced and sticky. Remove from the heat. Whisk the cider vinegar, oil, mustard and garlic into the cider reduction. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to cool.

For the lardons, fry the bacon in a hot frying pan until crisp. Drain away the fat and set the bacon aside.

For the herb butter, place the butter in a food processor and pulse to soften. Add the chervil and chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until well mixed.

For the chicken, loosen skin of the chicken halves, and stuff the herb butter under the skin. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 190C/370F/Gas 5. Heat an oven-proof frying pan, without oil, and dry fry the chicken halves, skin-side down, until crisp. Turn the chicken halves over and transfer the pan to the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through - the juices will run clear when the chicken is pierced with a skewer at the thickest point. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and pour off the excess fat. Set the chicken halves aside to rest. Deglaze pan with the chicken stock and cook to reduce the liquid.

To serve, toss the shaved turnips, crisp leaves, parsley leaves and lardons with the cider vinaigrette. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and add to the salad. Arrange the salad on a plate, pour over the pan juices and sprinkle with some chopped chives and chervil. Serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Oliver Rowe, Saturday Kitchen, BBC Food