3034. CHARRED OKRA with BACON JAM

makes four servings


For the bacon jam: 
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces 
1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock 
1 tablespoon honey 
1/2 teaspoon ground piment d’Espelette 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the okra: 
12 ounces fresh okra 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the bacon jam:

Place the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is starting to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and stir to combine.

Add 1 cup of the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add 1 more cup of the broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the remaining cup of broth, honey, Espelette, measured salt, and black pepper and stir to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and reserve the pot. Blend until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off).

Return the mixture to the reserved pot, place over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter; set aside. (At this point, the bacon jam can be cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm before using.)

For the okra:

Trim the stems from the okra and cut each pod in half lengthwise. Place in a large bowl, add the salt, and toss to combine; set aside.

Heat a large, well-seasoned or enameled cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Working in 2 to 3 batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the okra, cut-side down in a single layer, and sear undisturbed until charred on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the okra and cook until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds more. Remove to a medium bowl.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the okra in the bowl and 1/2 cup of the bacon jam to the pan (reserve the remaining bacon jam for another use), and stir to combine. Immediately transfer to a serving dish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Fire in My Belly: Real Cooking by Kevin Gillespie, with David Joachim; Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012

2995. SEARED BROCCOLINI with BACON and PARMIGIANO

serves four 


2 bunches broccolini (about 1 lb. total) 
2 thick slices bacon, sliced crosswise about 1/4 inch wide 
Kosher salt 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice  
1/2 teaspoon ground piment d’Espelette 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring about 1/2 inch of water to boil over high heat. Add the broccolini, cover, and steam until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large towel-lined baking sheet and let cool briefly; then pat very dry with another towel. In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and arrange half of the broccolini  in a snug single layer in the skillet, making sure all have good contact with the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt. Let cook undisturbed until browned in spots, about 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet and sear the remaining broccolini, sprinkling it with another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return the first batch of broccolini to the skillet. Sprinkle with the bacon, lemon juice, chile, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well to combine and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano, quickly toss to combine, and transfer to the serving platter. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Dabney Gough, Fine Cooking, Issue 113

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