2200. SPICED PARSNIP and BACON CAKE

4 parsnips, cut into 3-cm chunks
3 tablespoons butter
4 rashers rindless streaky bacon, cut into lardons
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala

For the dressing
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons cream
green salad, to serve

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer the parsnips for 15 minutes, until they are tender. Tip into a colander, drain well and mash with a fork.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a non-stick frying pan, add the bacon and fry until golden. Add the chilli and chopped shallots, continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and remove the pan from the heat. Preheat an oven to 180C/gas 4.

Combine the mashed parsnips with the bacon mixture. Grease a 20cm round cake tin with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Pile the parsnip mixture into the tin and flatten the top with a spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top of the savoury cake is crisp and golden.

While the cake is baking, combine the mustard, honey and cream together in a small saucepan, over a low heat. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the mixture reaches boiling point.

Remove the cake from the oven, cool slightly and turn out onto a board. Cut into wedges and serve with the warm honey dressing. An ideal accompaniment to this dish would be a crisp green salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Frank Bordoni, Great Food Live, Good Food Channel, UKTV

2003. PORTUGUESE CHICKEN GIZZARD STEW with BACON

serves 4-6


1 pound chicken gizzard
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, minced
4 stalks celery, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons crushed red chili pepper (preferably piri-piri)
1-1/2 cup tomatoes, canned or fresh, chopped finely
1 quart chicken broth
12 ounces beer (nothing too dark)
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4-6 dry bay leaves
parsley sprigs for garnish

Chop each chicken gizzard into 4 pieces. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven of at least 3 quarts, fry the bacon slices over medium heat until the fat has rendered out. Remove them from the pot and set aside.

In the bacon fat, saute the onion for about 8 minutes until onions start to turn golden brown. Raise heat to medium high and add celery, carrots, pepper and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes more then add oregano, thyme and red chili flakes.

Stir in tomatoes and let them brown slightly on the bottom by letting them sit for about a minute, then scrape the bottom and let them sit again. Do this about 3 or 4 times.

Stir in chicken broth, beer, wine, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Add gizzards. Let the mixture come up just to a boil. Try not to let it come up to a rolling boil or else your gizzards will toughen up. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover.

Let simmer for 2-1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Check in periodically to make sure that all the gizzards are submerged and that the mixture is not boiling.

When the meat is very tender, serve the stew in individual bowls topped with crumbled bacon and parsley.


bacon recipes courtesy of: "Vrunka," Portland, Oregon | food52, editors@food52.com

411. GRILLED MARINATED MOZZARELLA with CRUNCHY BREAD, SMOKED BACON, and a BLACK OLIVE and LEMON DRESSING

serves 4


1 loaf of ciabatta bread
8 rashers of thinly sliced dry-cured smoky bacon
zest of 2 lemons
4 large buffalo mozzarella cheeses
8 sticks of fresh rosemary
1 clove of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
3 handfuls of mixed fresh herbs (chives, chervil, mint, basil, parsley)

For the dressing
1 good handful of nice black olives, stones removed
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
5 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the crusts from the ciabatta and tear up into rough 1 inch pieces. Throw into a bowl with the bacon and lemon zest. Divide each mozzarella into 8 similar-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Keeping the leaf tips on the rosemary sticks, remove the lower leaves and then smash these up in a pestle and mortar with the garlic. Stir in 8 tablespoons of olive oil, then pour this mixture over the bread, cheese and bacon. Marinate for anything from 15 minutes to an hour.

Thread your mozzarella and bread on to your rosemary sticks, weaving the bacon in and around. Line up the kebabs on a wire rack and place under the grill on a very high heat until the bread and bacon are golden and crisp and the mozzarella is nice and gooey. While this is grilling make sure you keep an eye on it, as it can turn into a charred kebab very quickly. To make the dressing, chop up the olives and mix with the chili, 5 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the same of olive oil. Season to taste.

To serve the kebabs, dress the herbs with half of the olive dressing right at the last minute so the leaves stay nice and fresh, then use the other half of the dressing drizzled over the kebabs.


courtesy of: Jamie's Kitchen, by Jamie Oliver. Penguin, 2002, p. 258.