3678. ALPINE MAC and CHEESE with BACON

serves 4-6


1 pound elbow macaroni

¾ pound thick-cut bacon, diced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups hot milk
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup shredded raclette, plus ½ cup for topping (6 ounces total)
1 cup shredded Gruyere (4 ounces)
1 cup shredded young fontina (4 ounces)

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of liberally salted water a few minutes short of al dente.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until brown but not too crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve the fat.

While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons bacon fat and flour. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, until thickened and nutty in color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the hot milk, and whisk constantly until thickened and the sauce coats the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir until melted. Stir in the macaroni and the bacon until evenly incorporated.

Grease four 6-inch mini skillets or gratin dishes or six 12-ounce ramekins or ovenproof bowls with about 1 to 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Spoon macaroni mixture into each, mounding the top. Scatter over with remaining raclette and breadcrumbs, dividing evenly. Drizzle over with about 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Place dishes on a large rimmed baking sheet and tent with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and set under broiler for no more than 5 minutes to brown lightly. Serve hot.


bacon recipe source: Joseph Erdos, The Seattle Times, January 30, 2013

3532. GOMSER CHOLERA (SWISS POTATO and CHEESE PIE with BACON)

makes 8 to 10 servings

4 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 1/2 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces onions, finely chopped
1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, washed well, and thinly sliced
1 pound tart apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 pound puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions
10 ounces Gomser cheese (raclette cheese)
1 large egg, beaten

Place the potatoes in a pot full of water, bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook until a skewer glides easily into the center, about 40 minutes in all. Remove the potatoes, peel, cut into quarters, slice, and set aside.

In a large flameproof casserole, melt the butter with the bacon over low heat and cook until the bacon is slightly crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onions and leeks and cook, stirring, until softened and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out two-thirds of the puff pastry dough to fit into a 9-inch diameter deep-dish pie pan. Spread half the onion mixture over the dough and top with half of the potatoes and then half the cheese. Cover the cheese with the remaining filling in the same order. Roll out the remaining puff pastry and cover the filling with it. Score in several places and brush with the beaten egg. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.


bacon recipe source: Hot & Cheesy by Clifford A. Wright (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012); Kimberly L. Jackson, NJ.com, January 29, 2013

3531. SPINACH and BACON TARTINE

yields four servings


2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
6 ounces spinach or chard, washed
salt and pepper 
3 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch lardons 
4 large 1/2-inch-thick slices bread from a day-old rustic loaf, such as miche or pain au levain (about 6 by 4 inches) 
Dijon mustard 
4 ounces Raclette or Gruyère cheese

Put oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for about 1 minute, until just wilted. Drain, cool and squeeze out excess water.

Fry bacon lardons in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, until barely crisped. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Put the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast lightly on both sides under broiler (or use a toaster and place toasted slices on baking sheet). Brush lightly with mustard. Divide greens among the four toasts and spread out to cover. Tuck the bacon here and there.

Top each toast with slices of Raclette or Gruyère (about 1 ounce total on each toast). Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, not too close to the heat, until nicely browned. Alternatively, bake tartines 3 to 5 minutes on top shelf of a 450-degree oven, or individually in a countertop toaster oven. Serve hot.


bacon recipe source: David Tanis, The New York Times (Cooking) (@nytfood)

3200. RACLETTE, ASPARAGUS and BACON TART

serves four


1 sheet frozen puff pastry
4 slices raclette
4 asparagus spears, cooked or grilled
½ cup chopped sweet onion
½ cup diced, cooked bacon 
egg wash

Thaw and roll out puff pastry to ¼? thick. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut out 4 squares. Using the scraps, cut out small strips to line the top of the squares. Use egg wash to stick them to the square. Place a piece of raclette in the middle of your tart. Sprinkle the asparagus, onions, and ham over the tarts. Brush edges of the tart with egg wash. Bake until pastry has risen and is golden brown.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Michelle Rose, Honest Cooking

2572. BACON, SAUSAGE and POTATO RACLETTE BREAKFAST

serves two

4 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

2 oz. bacon

12 mini strasbourg (cocktail) sausages

1/2 an onion, chopped

4 slices of raclette cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

paprika (optional)

Fry the onions, sausages and bacon in the oil until the onions are soft and the bacon is crispy. Add the potatoes and fry for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy around the edges and golden brown. Place the slices of raclette on top of the potato mixture and allow to melt. As soon as it has melted, serve on warm plates and season to taste with salt and pepper, as well as a sprinkling of paprika if desired.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Karen Booth, Lavender and Lovage, August 27, 2011

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

1613. RED CABBAGE, BACON and RACLETTE SALAD with WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

yields four servings


1 lb red cabbage
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 oz sugar
2 cups water
4 oz bacon
croutons, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Belgian endives
1 small head of radicchio
5 oz raclette, in small cubes
salt and freshly ground pepper

For Vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons nut oil
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 oz toasted walnut pieces, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper


Core cabbage and slice thinly. In a large saucepan, bring vinegar to the boil and add sugar. When sugar has dissolved, add cabbage and mix well. In another saucepan, bring water to boil and pour over cabbage. Cook for 5 minutes, then place in a colander to drain. Let cool. Cut bacon into small pieces and dice bread slices. In a frying pan, over high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Add diced bread and brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat. In a salad bowl, place cabbage with Belgian endive and radicchio leaves. Add bacon, diced bread and Raclette cubes.

Vinaigrette: Using a whisk, mix all vinaigrette ingredients and pour over salad. Season with salt and pepper and toss thoroughly.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Metro: Grocers by Profession, Quebec & Ontario, Canada

1405. POTATO ROUNDS gratineed with RACLETTE and BACON

serves four


1 lb. medium red-skinned new potatoes
salt
4 oz. slab bacon, cut into
1" x 1/2" batons
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 lb. raclette, thinly sliced into square pieces
1/2 bunch chives, chopped

Put potatoes into a medium pot, cover with cold water, and add 2 generous pinches salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are just soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, 10–15 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices and set aside.

Meanwhile, put bacon into a small skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and set aside.

Preheat broiler. Divide potatoes between 4 medium ovenproof plates, arranging them to overlap slightly. Season each to taste with pepper and a pinch of the cayenne, sprinkle with some of the bacon, then cover with some of the cheese. Put plates under broiler until cheese melts and bubbles and browns in places, 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chives.


courtesy of: Saveur, Issue 56

147. RACLETTE with BACON

a.k.a. Raclette Artisanal

for Christine Bown

serves 6


18 fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
12 oz. Raclette, sliced and brought to room temperature (see note)
1 tablespoon gros sel (coarse sea salt or kosher salt)
12 slices smoked bacon, cooked till crisp
black pepper to taste

NOTE: Raclette substitutes: Gruyère, Appenzeller or Beaufort

Preheat the broiler. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add the fine sea salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and keep warm. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange 6 halves like the spokes of a wheel on ovenproof plates. Arrange the cheese slices evenly over the hot potatoes. Place the plates in the broiler for approximately 2 minutes until the cheese melts. Sprinkle an equal amount of the gross sel, plus 2 turns of the peppermill, on each plate, then arrange two slices of bacon on top of the cheese and potatoes. Serve, with a salad, gherkins, and pickled onions.


courtesy of: Artisanal Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street, New York City, info@artisanalcheese.com