3998. APPLE BROWN BETTY with MAPLE-BACON FROZEN CUSTARD

Yield: One 9 x 9-inch Brown Betty, about 10 servings

Maple–Bacon Frozen Custard:

3 slices bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon water

5 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup half and half cream

1 tablespoon bourbon

Apple Brown Betty:

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch cloves

6 tart apples (such as King David), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted melted butter

Butter at room temperature for prepping the cake pan

To make the frozen custard, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lay the bacon on a sheet tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy. Drain the bacon on a rack or paper towels and let cool. Chop very finely and set aside.

Place the brown sugar, maple syrup, and water in a small saucepan and heat to 250ºF. Remove from the heat and add the chopped bacon. Stir quickly to combine, then pour onto silpat or cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Let cool. (This will take about 20 minutes.) When the mixture has cooled and hardened, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar. Combine the heavy cream, half and half, and bourbon in a small sauce pot and heat over medium heat until just beginning to bubble. Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Mix in the pieces of candied bacon. Store in the freezer until needed.

To prepare the Brown Betty, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Mix together 1/4 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the apple slices and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, mix together the panko, cheese, melted butter, and remaining sugar.

Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan with butter. Make a one-inch-thick layer of apple slices on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture. Add another layer of apple slices and top with the remaining bread crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

To serve, scoop out individual portions of the Brown Betty and place on serving plates. Top each serving with a scoop of maple–bacon frozen custard.

bacon recipe source: Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, WI; James Beard Foundation

3339. APPLE-BACON BREAKFAST CUSTARD

serves 4


4 slices thick-sliced bacon, crisp, 1/2” dice
2 red apples, peeled, cored, 1/2” dice
4 large eggs
8 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
few grinds of pepper
soft butter
crème fraîche for garnish (optional)
pinches of smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bacon slices on a baking sheet. Bake until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Don’t turn the oven off.

While the bacon is cooking, peel, core, and dice the apples. Whisk together the eggs, cream, rosemary, and pepper.

When bacon is done, dice it and fold into the custard mixture.

Run a pastry brush over some soft butter and brush the insides of 4 4-ounce ramekins.

Use a large spoon or a ladle to divide custard among the ramekins. Set ramekins on a baking sheet with a lip all the way around. Fill a large measuring cup or pitcher with very hot tap water. Set the baking sheet in the oven with the front edge hanging off the edge of the rack by an inch or so. Pour hot water into the baking sheet until it almost reaches the lip. You are creating a water bath that will ensure that the center of your custards will be done at the same time as the perimeter. Gently nudge the baking sheet the rest of the way into the oven.

Bake custards for 30-40 minutes. Custards are done when slightly puffed and golden on top, and slightly tender when you tap the surface.

Remove the custards to a cooling surface. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top each with a spoonful of crème fraîche and pinches of smoked paprika just before you serve. Serve with some good grilled bread and a fruit salad. 

A note about the water bath: the safest way to remove the baking sheet from the oven is to turn off the heat, and leave the door ajar so that the water can cool. When it reaches a temperature that you feel comfortable handling it, go ahead and carefully carry it to a sink.


bacon recipe source: solitarycook (member), Whole Foods Market Cooking

3239. SAVORY EGG CUSTARD with BACON, LEEKS and ASPARAGUS

serves 3-4 


approximately 1/2 teaspoon butter for the dish
2 slices thick-slab bacon, diced
1 medium leek, cleaned; white and light green parts only, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 bunch asparagus, woody stems snapped off and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about a cup)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or a combination of fontina and mozzarella or a Swiss cheese, such as Gruyere or Comte)
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/8 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper to taste
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a large pie dish, place on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Dice the bacon and cook in a saute pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan onto a towel-lined plate and let cool.

While the bacon is cooking, clean, dry and dice the leek (white and light green parts only) and cook it in the bacon drippings. (You only need about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, so if you have more than that in the pan, pour it off before cooking the leeks.) When the leeks are just beginning to brown, scoop them out of the pan and spread them evenly across the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle the cooled bacon pieces over the leeks.

Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus spears and chop the spears diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread the asparagus pieces over the bacon and leeks. Grate the cheese and set aside

Make the custard mixture: whisk together the eggs, milk and cream thoroughly. Whisk in the salt, freshly-ground pepper and nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture into the pie plate, sprinkle with the cheese. Cook the egg custard until golden brown on top and just firm in the center, about 30-40 minutes.

Cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.


bacon recipe source: Carol Sacks, In Medias Recipe, April 28, 2013

2606. BACON MAPLE CUSTARD PIE

3/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 apple
1/8 lb walnuts
1 9-inch pie crust
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 package regular sized bacon

Par-bake pie crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie refrigerated pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights and bake 15 to 18 minutes longer or until golden. If shell puffs during baking, press it down with back of spoon. Cool on wire rack. Lower temperature to 300 degrees.

Prepare filling: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce maple syrup by a quarter, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add cream mixture to eggs. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup or bowl with pouring spout. Stir in salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

Cook bacon thoroughly to a crispy level on a skillet. Place evenly throughout the bottom of the crust shell.

Pour filling into crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Sauté thinly sliced apples and walnuts in maple syrup and vanilla and place evenly on top of pie after ~30 minutes of baking time. Place pie back in oven and continue to cook until pie is firm to touch but jiggles slightly when moved. Let cool to room temperature before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bac'n.com, 207 W. Los Angeles Ave., #346, Moorpark, CA 93021 | Max Ogden, 1st Annual Masterbacon, Portland, Oregon, January 17, 2009

2542. BACON and ESCAROLE CUSTARD

2 cups shredded escarole
3 slices of bacon chopped in bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon maple sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
zest of one lemon
1 cup of lowfat milk
½ cup of heavy cream
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
hot water from kettle (enough to fill your roasting pan)
parmesan cheese ¼ cup grated + thin shavings for top
chives
heavy pinch of salt
fresh cracked pepper

Cook bacon in a heavy skillet so that some fat renders out (about 5 minutes). Poor off excess fat and add in escarole. Saute for about five minutes or until greens are tender. Add in maple sugar, mustard. and lemon zest and cook for another minute. Turn off heat.

Heat water in a kettle.

Butter four six ounce ramekins and place them in a small hotel pan or roasting pan.

Heat milk and cream over medium low heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pot. Turn off heat.

Beat eggs and egg yolks until light. Whisk in one half of milk and cream mixture. Then pour the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the hot milk and cream- whisking all the time. Add in the grated parmesan.

Divide the escarole/bacon mixture between the four ramekins pour the custard equally on top.

Fill the roasting/hotel pan with the hot water abou an inch from the top of the ramekins.

Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes. They should be jiggly still when you pull them out to cool. You can eat them within 30 minutes if you don’t mind them a bit wet, but they’ll take 2-3 hours to set completely at room temp.

You can top with fresh herbs, pepper, and parmesan.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sabrina Modelle, The Tomato Tart, October 2, 2011

1807. CARIBBEAN BACON, CHEESE and RICE CUSTARD

makes 4 servings


8 slices streaky bacon
2 cups boiled rice
1 small onion, grated
2 ounces queso blanco cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 1½-quart casserole or baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till cooked but still slightly soft and drain on paper towels. Line the bottom and sides of the prepared casserole with the bacon slices.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and stir till well blended. Scrape the mixture into the casserole, bake till the custard is set, about 30 minutes, and serve hot or warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007

1589. FROTHY LETTUCE SOUP with BACON and ONION CUSTARD

makes four servings


salt
four 6-ounce heads of Boston lettuce, trimmed, 2 medium lettuce leaves reserved
2 ounces lean slab bacon, sliced 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/3 cup)
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
one 1/2-pound white onion, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
freshly ground pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons crème fraîche

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the heads of lettuce and blanch, stirring gently with a wire skimmer, for 3 minutes. Drain the lettuce and rinse under cold water. Lightly squeeze out excess water. Transfer the lettuce, still wet, to a blender and puree until smooth. Scrape into a bowl.

In a small skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine 2 tablespoons of the butter with the onion. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring often, until softened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the onion to a blender. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and puree. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the milk and onion puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and the nutmeg. Butter four 8-ounce coffee mugs or large ramekins. Pour the onion mixture into the mugs and cover with plastic wrap.

Set a round rack in a large, wide pot. Add enough water to reach just under the rack without touching it and bring to a boil. Set the mugs on the rack. Cover and steam over low heat until the onion custards are barely set, about 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 cup of stock to a boil. Whisk in the lettuce puree and simmer over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Finely shred the reserved 2 lettuce leaves. When the custards are done, discard the plastic wrap. Scatter the bacon and shredded lettuce over the top. Serve the custards and pour in the lettuce soup at the table.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Joel Robuchon, "Robuchon Headlines in Las Vegas," Food & Wine, February 2006

800. ROCKET, MUSHROOM and BACON QUICHE

FOR THE PASTRY
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
125 grams cold butter, diced
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil, to brush the tin
1 egg yolk, to glaze

FOR THE CUSTARD
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
200ml crème fraîche
200ml milk
small handful tarragon leaves, chopped

FOR THE FILLING
200g smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
5 tablespoon olive oil
1 large handful red onion, chopped
2 heads red chicory, shredded
250 grams flat cap mushrooms, sliced
200 grams wild rocket
100 grams gruyère, grated
100 grams mature cheddar, grated

To make the pastry, rub the flour, salt, butter and thyme into fine crumbs. Mix in the beaten egg and 1 tbsp ice-cold water, then draw together to a moist pastry, kneading lightly. Wrap with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins.

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Brush a deep, loose-bottom, 24cm tart tin with oil, then season it. Set a small ball of pastry aside and roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to a large round, 38-40cm. Lift the pastry into the tin using the rolling pin and press into the sides. Press any cracks together and let the excess overhang.

Use a small ball of pastry to press the tart case into the flutes. Save a little more pastry for later (see Step 3 in the Step by step images). Prick the base lightly with a fork and chill the tart case, preferably in the freezer, for at least 30 mins. Cut out a circle of baking paper larger than the tart, scrunch it up, unravel and press into the case.

Fill the case with baking beans, stand on a baking sheet and bake for 20 mins. Remove the paper and beans and brush with the remaining yolk. Return to the oven for 5 mins, brush again and return for a final 10-15 mins until glazed and golden. Remove from the oven. Turn the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.

To make the custard, beat together the whole eggs, yolks, crème fraîche, milk and tarragon and season to taste.

For the filling, sauté the bacon in 1 tbsp oil until browned and beginning to crisp, about 5 mins. Add 2 tbsp oil to the pan and sauté the onion and chicory with the bacon, stirring until lightly cooked, about 5 mins. Strain any juices through a sieve, then tip into a big bowl.

Heat 2 more tbsp oil and stir-fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 3-5 mins. Strain and mix into the bowl. Wilt the rocket in same pan over a high heat and leave to cool.

Mix the cheeses and rocket into the custard and whizz with a hand blender until well mixed, then stir in the rest of the filling ingredients.

Put the tart case back into the oven. Leaving the shelf slightly out, ladle as much filling into the case as you can. Try to ladle the solid filling in first, then top up with custard. Push the shelf in and bake for 50 mins-1 hour until the quiche is set in the middle, turning for even baking.

Remove and trim the pastry edge so that it's in line with the top of the tin. This is easiest with a small, serrated knife. Cool the tart for at least 1 hour before removing from the tin and serving in slices.


courtesy of: Gordon Ramsay, BBC Good Food, 80 Wood Lane, London W12 0TT

471. CORN and BACON CUSTARD PUDDING

serves 2


2 cups, fresh corn kernels (use best-quality defrosted or canned corn if fresh is unavailable)
1 1/2 cups, milk
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter – plus more to butter the baking dish
2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
2 eggs – beaten
1/4 teaspoon, salt
1/4 teaspoon, freshly ground pepper
3 slices, thick-cut bacon – fried until crisp and then crumbled
1/4 cup, grated Cheddar cheese
chopped green onions for garnish
[If serving as a breakfast dish: warm maple syrup to drizzle over]

Soak the corn in the milk for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 1-quart baking dish.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook – stirring constantly – for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the corn and whisk the milk into the flour mixture. Simmer until slightly thickened – about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the eggs. Stir in the corn, salt, pepper and bacon.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes – until the custard is brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow the custard to rest for 10 minutes before serving – then spoon it into bowls and top with the chopped green onions.

NOTES: This dish may be made ahead and refrigerated, if desired. It will lose some of its light, velvety texture, but some believe that the flavor is even better when made ahead.

If made ahead, warm the refrigerated, baked custard in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. Spoon into shallow bowls and garnish with the chopped green onions.


courtesy of: Breakfast in Bed, Jesse Ziff Cool, HarperCollins, 1997