3362. COARSE COUNTRY TERRINE (with PORK SHOULDER, PORK BELLY, BACON and PIG'S LIVER)

serves ten

10 oz rindless pork shoulder, chopped into small pieces

10 oz rindless pork belly, chopped into small pieces

5 oz rindless unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped into small pieces

8 oz pig’s liver, rinsed and patted dry with kitchen paper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 orange, juice and zest

6 tablespoons brandy 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 

1 tablespoon juniper berries 

14 oz rindless smoked streaky bacon rashers

7 oz cornichons, drained

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put half the prok shoulder, half the pork belly, half the bacon, the liver and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining pork shoulder, pork belly, bacon and pulse until roughly chopped and well combined.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the orange juice and zest, brandy and herbs until well combined. Grind the peppercorns and juniper berries together with a pestle and mortar and add to the mixture. Stir until well combined. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 1-3 hours.

Place the smoked bacon rashers on a board and stretch one at a time with the back of a knife. Place the first rasher diagonally in the terrine mould making sure some overlaps the edge. Place the second rasher diagonally in the opposite corner. Repeat with the remaining rashers, changing the angle slightly with each rasher so that the whole terrine mould is covered with bacon. (This will make the terrine easier to cut.)

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Spoon a third of the pâté mixture into the lined terrine and place half the cornichons neatly on top. (They need to run lengthways down the terrine, so that when the terrine is cut, they form a row of green circles in the centre.)

Spoon another third of the pâté mixture on top of the cornichons and press the surface smoothly and firmly. Cover with a second layer of cornichons and finish with the remaining pâté. Bring the overlapping bacon up and over the pâté to cover the surface.

Cover with the lid (or aluminium foil if using an ovenproof dish) and place the terrine into a small roasting tin. Add enough just-boiled water to the roasting tin to come 2cm/¾in up the outside of the terrine. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1½ hours.

To test the terrine is ready, remove from the oven and insert a skewer into the centre. Hold for 10 seconds, then remove and lightly touch the end. The skewer should feel hot. The pâté should also have shrunk away from the sides of the terrine. Remove from the roasting tin.

Remove the terrine lid, cover with a double layer of aluminium foil and place a couple of cans of beans or some other heavy weights on top. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, turn the pate out onto a board and cut into thick slices. Serve with hot, crusty bread and lots of butter.

bacon recipe source: The Hairy Bikers, Hairy Bikers' Best of British, BBC Food

3361. BACON, PEACH and ARUGULA SANDWICHES

makes 4 servings
 

 

8 slices thick-cut bacon
1/4 cup packed fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
8 thick slices multigrain bread
2 peaches, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
Baby arugula, for topping
Cornichons or other pickles, for serving (optional)

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning a few times until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then cut each slice in half.

While the bacon is cooking, pulse the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a mini food processor (or finely chop the basil and whisk with the other ingredients) until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and pulse until just combined.

Toast the bread and spread evenly with the basil mayonnaise. Divide the peaches, bacon and arugula among half of the bread slices; top with the remaining bread slices. Serve with cornichons.

bacon recipe source: Food Network Magazine/Food Network Kitchen

2190. RACLETTE with SMOKED BACON and FINE HERB SALAD

serves four


1kg small bintje potatoes, scrubbed
100 ml olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
200 grams smoked bacon, cut into lardons
2 tablespoons thyme, plus extra to serve
400 grams raclette, thinly sliced (see note)

To serve: cornichons and pickled onions

Fine herb salad
1 cup (loosely packed) micro herbs, such as cress
½ cup (loosely packed) each dill, flat-leaf parsley and chives
2 tablespoons each lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender (25-35 minutes), drain, cool slightly, peel, coarsely chop and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add onion and bacon, sauté until onion is tender (10-12 minutes). Remove from pan, set aside, keep warm. Wipe pan clean, increase heat to high, add remaining oil and fry potato in batches until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat grill to high heat. Combine potato, onion mixture and thyme in a 2-litre shallow ovenproof serving bowl, scatter with raclette, season to taste and grill until golden and bubbling (3-5 minutes).

Meanwhile, for fine herb salad, combine herbs in a bowl, set aside. Whisk lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil together in a separate bowl, season to taste and gently toss through salad. Serve with hot raclette, cornichons and pickled onions.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Emma Knowles & Alice Storey, Australian Gourmet Traveller, June 2010

2182. MOOSE ROULADES in CREAM SAUCE with BACON and UNCOOKED LINGONBERRIES

500 grams moose fillet
50 grams bacon
8 cornichons (small pickled gherkins)
8 toothpicks
salt & pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 beef stock cube
2 dl (20 ml) cream
2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)

Lingonberry Relish
200 grams lingonberries
100 grams sugar

Moose Roulades: Slice the meat into 8 equal slices and pound them. Season lightly with salt and pepper on one side. Put one bacon-wrapped cornichon on each slice of the meat and roll it up, securing the roulades with toothpicks. In a pot, bring to the boil 5dl of water, together with the beef stock cube and the onion. Heat a skillet with butter. When the foam subsides, add the roulades and brown them well on all sides. Place the roulades in the pot with the bouillon and simmer for about 15-30 minutes. The cooking time can vary depending on the age and quality of the meat. Remove a roulade to check - they should be tender but not boiled to shreds. Once the roulades are sufficiently cooked, remove and let them cool slightly while you make a sauce from the bouillon and meat juices. There should be about 3 dl left of the bouillon - whisk together with the flour and the cream, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk this into the boiling meat juice, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Season to taste. Remove the toothpicks and return the roulades to the sauce.

Lingonberry Relish: Mix together the lingonberries and sugar. Let stand about 2 hours before serving. Serve with the moose roulades with boiled potatoes, vegetables and the lingonberry relish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Planet Food Scandinavia | Pilot Guides, the official Globe Trekker website, Pilot Film & Television Productions Ltd., The Old Studio, 18 Middle Row, London W10 5AT, UK

2099. ROAST PORK CHOP with MUSHROOM, BACON, CORNICHONS and CREAM SAUCE

serves four


4 1" thick pork chops
2 cups white wine
2 cups chicken stock, may substitute with veal stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 medium onion medium diced
4 bacon strips cut medium dice
button mushrooms, cut in quarters
6 each cornichons, medium dice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
a pinch of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Sauté bacon until crisp, then add onion, mushrooms, tarragon, cornichons, thyme and bay leaf. Toss briefly to coat; add wine and reduce by 1/2. Add chicken stock; reduce by 1/2. Add cream and sugar; reduce. Season and set aside. Preheat oven to 400.

While reducing sauce, sauté both sides of the pork chops quickly over high heat to seal the meat and color it, and place the chops in an oven proof casserole and, when the sauce is reduced, pour over the chops enough to cover. Let chops cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remaining sauce to be ladled over chops at time of service.


bacon recipe courtesy of: the former La Bohème Restaurant of Carmel, California, as listed in the United States Restaurant Guide, 1998

1689. PEAMEAL BACON SLIDERS

makes 24 sliders


1 small sweet or Vidalia onion
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup grainy mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb peameal bacon, sliced 1/4-inch thick
24 mini-buns or small dinner rolls
24 gherkins, cornichons, small pickled peppers or cocktail onions

Cut onion into 1/4-inch thick rings. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook onion and half each of the salt and pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth; cook, stirring, until no liquid remains, 8 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. In large bowl, combine maple syrup, mustard, and remaining salt and pepper; set aside. In nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat; cook bacon, in batches and adding more oil if necessary, turning once, until tender and golden, about 4 minutes. Cut each slice into 4 pieces. Add to maple mixture; toss to coat. Cut buns in half; broil, cut side up, on baking sheet until golden and toasted, about 1 minute. In saucepan, warm bacon mixture over medium heat, 1 to 3 minutes. Stack 4 pieces bacon on each base of bun; top with onions then top half of bun. Secure with gherkin-skewered toothpick.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Canadian Living Test Kitchen, Canadian Living.com, # Transcontinental Publications Inc., 25 Sheppard Avenue West, Suite 100 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6S7 Canada

1066. SMOKED GOUDA FONDUE with BACON and ALMONDS

Salt
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound white mushrooms
Salt and black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1 1/2 pounds kielbasa
1 cup drained cornichons or baby Gherkin pickles
2 red pears
4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
1 baguette, sliced
6 slices thick cut bacon
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded
1/3 pound, about 6 ounces, smoked Gouda, shredded
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large clove garlic, smashed away from skin
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped

Heat 2 or 3 inches water in a medium frying pan until it boils then salt it and add the cauliflower. Cook 3 minutes, then remove from water with tongs or spider to a colander. Cool under cold running water. Trim asparagus of tough ends and add to salted water, cook 3 minutes, remove and cool in the same manner as the cauliflower. In a second skillet, while cauliflower and asparagus work, saute shallots and mushrooms together in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium high heat until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add red wine vinegar to the pan and cook it out, 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Preheat broiler to high and a grill pan or large nonstick skillet to medium high. Drizzle sausage casing with extra-virgin olive oil and prick skin in a few places with the tines of a fork. Grill kielbasa on hot grill pan or in large nonstick skillet 6 to 8 minutes until casing is crisp. Remove sausage and cut in 2-inch chunks on a bias.

While sausage cooks, pile veggies on a platter and add cornichons and chopped pears coated with 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Broil bacon on slotted pan until crisp. Drain, cool and chop. Make the fondue: combine cheeses in a bowl with flour. Rub the inside of a small pot with smashed garlic then discard. Add wine and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon. Transfer the fondue to fondue pot and top with chopped bacon and smoked nuts.


courtesy of: Rachael Ray, "Old Fashion in Fashion," 30 Minute Meals

991. GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICH with EGG SALAD and BACON

makes 4 sandwiches


8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pain au levain or other hard country bread (about 1/2 a loaf)
12 stalks grilled asparagus (about 1/2 a bunch)
8 grilled scallions, cut in half
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
3/4 cup Egg Salad Gribiche (recipe below)

Top 4 slices of bread each with 3 stalks of asparagus and 2 scallion halves (trim the length of asparagus and scallions as needed). Spoon 3 tablespoons of Egg Salad Gribiche over the vegetables and sprinkle crumbled bacon over the sauce. Top with remaining slices of bread and serve.


Egg Salad Gribiche

makes 2 1/2 cups

6 freshly hard-cooked large eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped cornichons
1 tablespoon finely chopped capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped chervil

Peel the hard-cooked eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, reserving each separately. In a medium mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to mash the egg yolks until they resemble cornmeal, about 1 minute (some pea-size pieces will remain). Add mustard and continue mashing until it is well incorporated. Add the oil to the yolks, pouring in a thin, steady stream while constantly whisking. Stir in vinegar, salt, and pepper. Finely chop the egg whites and add to the yolk paste. Add cornichons, capers, and herbs, and fold together until evenly combined. Taste egg salad and adjust seasoning as necessary.


courtesy of: Aïda Mollenkamp, CHOW