3917. CLUB SANDWICH with CHICKEN, BACON and ROCKET

yields 4 sandwiches


12 slices (rustic) bread
8 rashers bacon, trimmed of fat
light, spray olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, skinned and flattened with a meat hammer
1 tsp herbs, mixed, dried
200 g canned sweetcorn (corn kernels), drained and rinsed
small bunch rocket
1 red onion, finely sliced into rings

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and grill the bread on both sides.

Set it aside and keep warm.

Grill the bacon in the griddle pan until lightly browned then set aside and keep warm.

Spray the pan lightly with oil and cook the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side.

Add the herbs to the pan and baste the meat with the juices.

To assemble the sandwich, slice each chicken breast in half.

Lay one piece of chicken on a slice of toasted bread, spoon over some sweetcorn, add another slice of bread then the bacon, rocket, onion and finally another slice of bread.

Secure with cocktail sticks and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Fine Dining Lovers (@FineDiningLover)

3778. SCALLOP TARTARE with PICKLED BEETROOT, BACON and APPLE

serves four

For the mayonnaise

3 free-range eggs, yolks only

1 tsp English mustard

½ lemon, juice only or 2 tsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

300ml/10fl oz light rapeseed oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the beetroot

200g/7oz raw beetroot

2 tsp red wine vinegar

pinch salt

3 tsp sherry vinegar

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp chopped thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

For the scallops

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon

12 scallops, cleaned and corals removed, the scallop meat diced into 5mm/¼in pieces

1 apple, peeled, cored, cut into 5mm/¼in dice

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tsp finely chopped gherkin

2 tsp finely chopped chives

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

4 slices sourdough bread

handful rocket leaves

lemon wedges

½ quantity mayonnaise, from above

For the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice or vinegar into a bowl and whisk together for one minute. Now gradually add the oil, drop by drop to begin with, then in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until the mixture is emulsified and thick.

Alternatively, you can make the mayonnaise in a blender or food processor, blending the egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice or vinegar for one minute and then adding the oil slowly through the funnel with the motor running.

Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

For the beetroot, place the beetroot in a saucepan, pour on water to cover and add the wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer, add a pinch of salt and cook for 25 minutes.

Leave the beetroot to cool in the water until you are able to handle it, then remove and peel off the skin. Cut the beetroot into 1cm/½in dice, using a sharp knife.

Place in a bowl with the sherry vinegar, shallot, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the olive oil. Mix well and then cover and leave to marinate for at least two hours.

For the scallops, preheat the grill to high.

Lay the bacon on a grill tray and grill on both sides until very crispy. Allow to cool down and then chop the bacon into small pieces.

Put the scallops and apple into a bowl with the shallot, gherkin, bacon and chives. Add two teaspoons of mayonnaise and mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.

To serve, toast the bread on both sides and place on four serving plates. Spoon the scallop tartare neatly on top. Spoon some of the marinated beetroot with a little of its dressing alongside. Scatter over the rocket and serve with lemon wedges and mayonnaise in a bowl on the side for guests to help themselves.

bacon recipe source: Nathan Outlaw, Saturday Kitchen, BBC Food

3458. WARM NEW POTATO, ROCKET, BACON and SMOKED MACKEREL SALAD

serves four


400 grams (14 oz.) new potatoes, halved if large
6 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, sliced into 1cm strips
splash of olive oil
50 grams (1.5 oz.) bag rocket leaves
1 packet (about 330 grams) smoked mackerel, skin removed, flaked
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice of ½ lemon

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon with a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until crisp. Put the cooked potatoes in a bowl with the rocket, bacon and mackerel. Drizzle over the olive oil, add the lemon juice, season and toss together. Serve straightaway.


bacon recipe source: Charlie Clapp, delicious. magazine, Seven Publishing Group, Sea Container’s House, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD

3079. BACON and EGG CANAPES

makes twelve


For the pastry
5½ oz plain flour

3½ oz cold butter, cut into cubes

1 free-range egg, beaten

For the bacon and egg filling

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

4 thin rashers rindless streaky bacon, cut into 2 inch strips

2 free-range eggs, hard boiled, peeled

4 tablespoons mayonnaise 

salt and fresh ground black pepper 

6 quails’ eggs, hard boiled, peeled

fresh rocket leaves

For the pastry pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and blend until the mixture starts to come together in a ball. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten slightly. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface, and using a 3-inch cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Use them to line a 12 hole muffin tin. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, and freeze for one hour. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the pastry cases for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. For the bacon and egg filling, heat the oil in a small non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Mash the hens’ eggs with the mayonnaise, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into the pastry cases. Cut the quails’ eggs in half and place on top. Add a strip of bacon to each one and garnish the canapés with rocket leaves.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Hairy Bikers, The Hairy Bikers' Christmas Party, BBC-Food

2962. SMOKED TROUT, WATERCRESS, CRISPY BACON and GRIBICHE SANDWICH

sandwich bread, sliced and buttered
watercress or rocket
streaky bacon, 2 rashers per person, cooked until crisp
smoked trout
salt and freshly ground black pepper
gribiche sauce (recipe below)

Gribiche

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped chervil leaves
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
3 tablespoons gherkins, finely diced

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble: Place the buttered bread on a clean surface or chopping board. To each slice add a layer of watercress then two rashers of the crisp bacon. Top with chunks of smoked trout then spoon over some dollops of the gribiche. Season with salt and black pepper and finish the sandwiches with another slice of bread.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Al Brown, Cuisine, #118, PO Box 6341, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, Auckland 1021, New Zealand

2618. CRISPY SALAD with MIMOLETTE SHAVINGS and BACON

6 rashers streaky bacon

8 thin slices French bread
a little olive oil
100 grams/4 oz. Mimolette cheese
1 (150 grams) bag spinach, rocket and watercress salad
3 tablespoons French dressing

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the bacon on a small baking tray. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle over a little olive oil. Bake the bacon and bread for 8 mins or until crisp. Cool the bacon then snip into bite sized pieces. Use a potato peeler to thinly pare the Mimolette into shavings. Empty the leaves into a salad bowl, add the cheese, bacon and dressing and toss to mix. Place two croutons on four plates, then top with the salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Vive le Cheese, CNIEL (the Interprofessional Centre for the Dairy Economy) & FranceAgriMer |  French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

2587. CRUMBED EGGPLANT STACK with BACON

serves four


2 (about 300 grams each) eggplants, trimmed
95 grams (1 1/2 cups) fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh continental parsley
75 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg, lightly whisked
canola oil, to shallow-fry
4 bacon rashers, halved crossways
410 grams can spicy Italian-style chopped tomatoes
40 grams (1/4 cup) pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
80 grams baby rocket leaves

Cut each eggplant crossways into six 1cm-thick slices. Combine breadcrumbs and parsley on a plate. Place flour on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk milk and egg in a bowl. Dip eggplant in flour mixture. Shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat. Add enough oil to a large frying pan to come 1cm up the side. Heat over medium heat. Cook half the eggplant for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Preheat grill on medium-high. Place the bacon on a tray lined with foil. Cook under grill for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Heat the tomato and olive in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stack the eggplant, bacon and rocket on serving plates. Drizzle over the sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kathy Knudsen, Good Taste, June 2010

2481. SALAD of MACKEREL, BACON and POTATOES

serves 4 as a light main course


For the salad:
1 small and sweet onion
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
500 grams small salad potatoes
mixed leaves frisée, watercress, rocket

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 heaped teaspoon capers
4 bushy sprigs dill

For the fish:
6 thin rashers smoked streaky bacon
4 fresh fillets mackerel
plain flour a little for coating
groundnut oil a little

Peel and finely slice the onion into rings. Put them into a small bowl with the white-wine vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes or more, tossing occasionally. This removes any harshness and will slightly soften the onion's flesh.

Boil the potatoes in deep, generously salted water for 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain, and when they are ready, slice each thickly and add them to the dressing below.

While the potatoes are boiling make the dressing by putting a generous pinch of salt in a bowl, adding the cider vinegar and stirring to dissolve. Mix in the mustard, oil and then add the capers, rinsed briefly. Chop the dill leaves and stalks finely then add to the dressing and set aside. Add the drained and sliced potatoes as soon as they're ready.

Drain the onion rings, discard the vinegar, add the onions to the potatoes and stir gently. Set aside.

Warm a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the bacon rashers and fry until crisp, rest them briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then snip into pieces the size of a postage stamp. Turn the heat off under the pan, but leave any bacon fat in the pan for cooking the fish.

Put a thin layer of flour on a plate and season with salt and finely ground black pepper. Lay the fillets in the flour, pat firmly then turn and coat the other side.

Warm the bacon fat, lower the fillets into the pan skin side down and leave to brown lightly. When the skin is just starting to crisp, slide a palette knife under the fish and turn it over. Lightly brown the other side, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Gently break or cut each fish fillet into four or five rough pieces.

Divide the salad leaves between four plates or shallow dishes. Pile the potatoes and onion rings on top leaving any dressing behind in the bowl. Add the pieces of warm fish and scatter over the bacon. Spoon over any remaining dressing from the potato bowl and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nigel Slater, The Observer, March 19, 2011

2411. BACON and PEAR FRITTATA with HOISIN SAUCE

3 rashers bacon, cut into 2 cm squares
1 medium brown onion, sliced
1/2 bunch broccolini
4 medium eggs
1/2 small pear, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (half for the egg mixture/half for the top)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 cups rocket
2 tablespoons dressing

Heat a grill pan and add the olive oil. Add the bacon and onions, cook for several minutes, then stir fry the roughly chopped broccolini. Combine in a bowl the eggs, half the Parmesan, the diced pear, Italian parsley and seasoning. Add this to the bacon and broccolini then gently stir as it begins to set. When almost set swirl half the hoisin sauce through the top and sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese. Finish under the grill or in a hot oven. Present with a drizzle of the hoisin sauce, olive oil and a little dressed rocket.


bacon recipe courtesy of: IGA Supermarkets, Australia

2344. HALLOUMI SALAD with ROCKET and BACON

serves one


50 grams halloumi
sunflower oil
3 slices bacon
50 grams rocket
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
a few leaves mint

Cut your halloumi into small cubes. Heat some sunflower oil in a frying pan and quickly brown the halloumi cubes. Be careful as the oil tends to spatter when frying halloumi. Toss the rocket and shredded mint together with a bit of white balsamic vinegar (or other dressing of your liking) and put on a plate. Fry the bacon slices crisp and leave to drain on a bit of kitchen towel. Crumble above the salad and add the fried halloumi too.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Simone, Junglefrog Cooking, The Netherlands, May 3, 2010

1868. SMOKED TROUT FISHCAKES with TREACLE-CURED BACON

serves four


For the fishcakes
1 large smoked trout
100 grams mashed potato
100 grams plain flour
1 egg
10 grams breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the roasted beetroot
8 baby beetroot
1 sprig thyme
1 dash of olive oil

For the dressing
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons grain mustard
1 dash of cider vinegar
1 pinch white sugar
1 dash of vegetable oil

To serve
8 rashers treacle cured bacon, griddled
200 grams rocket

For the beetroot: roast in foil with thyme and olive oil for 20-25 minutes until soft. Leave to cool then peel.

For the dressing: whisk all of the ingredients together.

For the fishcakes: flake the fish into a bowl, then mix with just enough warm mashed potato to bind. Roll into balls the size of a large hazelnut. Coat the balls in the flour, egg and bread crumbs. Just before needed, heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C then deep fry the fishcakes for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the fishcakes with the roasted beetroot, bacon and the rocket drizzled with the dressing.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Paul Merrett, Market Kitchen, UKTV-Food

1749. WARM BACON, FLAGEOLET BEAN and WATERCRESS SALAD

serves four


1 red pepper, halved and deseeded
4 slices lean smoked back bacon
1 x 420 grams can flageolet beans
1 x 60 grams bag watercress
1 x 60 grams bag rocket leaves

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
a few shavings of parmesan to serve

Heat the grill to high. Place the pepper halves, skin side up onto a baking tray and place under the grill until blackened. Then place in a plastic bag, seal and set aside to cool. Grill the bacon until crisp, then chop into small pieces. Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off and discard the skin then slice the flesh into strips. Toss together with all the other salad ingredients. Mix together the oil and vinegar and drizzle over the salad. Serve topped with a few parmesan shavings.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Diabetes Federation of Ireland, 76 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, Ireland, Tel: 01 836 3022

1626. BAKED SNAILS in GARLIC BUTTER served with a CRISPY BACON CITRUS BITTER LEAF SALAD

serves four


48 snails, drained, plus 48 snail shells
500 grams butter, softened
12 cloves garlic, finely chopped and crushed
8 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 shot Pastis
6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 pinch black pepper

For the salad:
1 packet rocket
1 bunch watercress, torn into sprigs
1 small radicchio, cut in half and finely sliced across
8 slices rindless streaky bacon
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch black pepper
12 orange segments
12 grapefruit, segments
2 endive, belgian, leaves only

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the snails and simmer for about two minutes. Drain, refresh with cold water and drain again.

Place the butter, garlic, parsley, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, pastis, breadcrumbs, salt and freshly ground pepper and process until smooth.

Put a little of the garlic butter into each shell then add one snail per shell. Cover each snail with more garlic butter until the shells are full.

Place the snails in an ovenproof serving dish. (The holes must face up so the butter when it is cooked stays in the shell). Bake for around 8-10 minutes in the oven until the butter bubbles.

In the meantime, make the salad. Mix together the rocket, watercress and radicchio. Grill the bacon until crispy. Combine together the olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then mix through the leaves.

Place the Belgian endive on the outside of the plate in a star shape, put the dressed salad leaves in middle of the plate, scatter the orange and grapefruit segments around the leaves and place the crispy bacon on the top.

Take the snails out of the oven and serve immediately with the salad.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Michel Lemoine, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel

1154. SUMAC CHICKEN, BACON and AVOCADO CIABATTA

serves 4

4 pieces of ciabatta (ca. 10 x 15 cm) - cut in half horizontally
4 chicken breasts (skinless)
1 tablespoon sumac (ground spice)
sea salt
50 grams rocket salad
12 slices bacon
2 medium tomatoes (sliced)
2 avocados
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons roast onion mayonnaise

Fry the bacon in a pan and leave to crisp on some kitchen towel. Rub the chicken breasts with the sumac and salt and put in a non-stick pan with a spray of oil. Cook until done, but still juicy inside. Cut into slices. Assemble the ciabattas (you can toast them first, if you want to) by spreading some mustard on the one and some mayo on the other half, then top the bottom half with rocket and tomatoes, the avocado and the chicken slices, topped with the bacon and the remaining bread half. Secure with a tooth pick and serve with a salad on the side if you wish.


courtesy of: The Passionate Cook, October 18, 2004

971. BAKED SNAILS in GARLIC BUTTER served with a CRISPY BACON CITRUS BITTER LEAVE SALAD

makes 4 servings


48 snails, drained, plus 48 snail shells
500 grams butter, softened
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped and crushed
8 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 shot Pastis
6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the salad:
1 packet rocket leaves
1 bunch watercress, torn into sprigs
1 small radicchio, cut in half and finely sliced across
8 slices rindless streaky bacon
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
12 orange segments
12 grapefruit segments
2 endive, belgian, leaves only

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the snails and simmer for about two minutes. Drain, refresh with cold water and drain again.

Place the butter, garlic, parsley, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, pastis, breadcrumbs, salt and freshly ground pepper and process until smooth.

Put a little of the garlic butter into each shell then add one snail per shell. Cover each snail with more garlic butter until the shells are full.

Place the snails in an ovenproof serving dish. (The holes must face up so the butter when it is cooked stays in the shell). Bake for around 8-10 minutes in the oven until the butter bubbles.

In the meantime, make the salad. Mix together the rocket, watercress and radicchio. Grill the bacon until crispy. Combine together the olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then mix through the leaves.

Place the Belgian endive on the outside of the plate in a star shape, put the dressed salad leaves in middle of the plate, scatter the orange and grapefruit segments around the leaves and place the crispy bacon on the top.

Take the snails out of the oven and serve immediately with the salad.


courtesy of: Michel Lemoine, from "Christmas Live," UKTV-Food

935. BACON and BALSAMIC AVOCADO

1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoon of good quality balsamic vinegar
rocket leaves
6 rashers of streaky bacon

Stone avocado and half. Chop the bacon into bite sized pieces. Wash the rocket leaves. Fry the bacon and olive oil in a frying pan until crispy - add the balsamic vinegar making sure all the bacon is coated and the excess vinegar is warmed through. Cover top and center of stoned avocado with the mixture and garnish with rocket leaves.


courtesy of: California Avocados

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

686. BAKED RICOTTA with ROAST TOMATOES and BACON

serves 6

3 desiree potatoes (about 350g), peeled, halved
250g prosciutto slices
2 eggs
1kg fresh ricotta, drained
1/3 cup (25g) grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, chives and oregano)
250g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
Grilled bacon rashers or bacon curls (see Note) and grilled bread, to serve
1 cup wild rocket leaves
Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 10cm x 30cm loaf pan with baking paper. Place potatoes in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until just tender, then drain. When cool enough to handle, grate coarsely into a large bowl. Finely chop prosciutto in a food processor, then add to the potato. Process the eggs and ricotta in the food processor until smooth. Add to the potato mixture with the parmesan and herbs, and season well with salt and pepper. Fill the loaf pan with the mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until firm. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. While the ricotta is cooling, place the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes or until just starting to split. Turn out ricotta and slice thickly. Serve with tomatoes, bacon and rocket, and drizzle with a little olive oil and vinegar.

NOTE: To make bacon curls as in the photo, wrap rindless streaky bacon (without the eye) around round-handled metal spoons or kitchen utensils and bake in a 200°C oven for 5 minutes, then slide the bacon off the handle.


courtesy of: Valli Little, delicious., September 2006, p. 66

446. PAN-FRIED CALF'S LIVER with DRY-CURED BACON and BALSAMIC CARAMELISED ONIONS, served with ROOT VEGETABLE and ROCKET PUREE

Serves 2


½oz butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
pinch of sugar
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
6 rashers of thinly sliced dry-cured streaky bacon, rind removed
10-12oz calf's liver very thinly sliced
½oz seasoned flour for dusting
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the root vegetable and rocket puree
8oz swede, peeled and cut into chunks
8oz carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
8oz potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
¾oz butter
handful of rocket
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill to high. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions and sugar over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 7-8 minutes until nicely browned.

Season with salt and pepper, add the balsamic vinegar and leave it to bubble up for a few seconds. Keep warm.

Grill the bacon until beginning to crisp at the edges. Keep warm.

Season the liver on both sides with salt and pepper and then coat lightly in the seasoned flour. Pat off the excess.

Heat another large frying pan over a high heat. Add the oil and then the slices of liver and cook them over a high heat for 30 seconds on each side, the object being to have the liver nicely browned on the outside, yet still pink and juicy on the inside.

To make the root vegetable and rocket purée, cook the swede, carrots and potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes, until tender. Then drain, place in a blender with the butter and blitz into a smooth purée.

Finally, return the purée to the pan and leave on a gentle heat, until the mixture has dried out. Add the rocket, salt and pepper and serve with the pan-fried-liver, bacon and caramelised balsamic onions.


courtesy of: Rick Stein, Saturday Kitchen / BBC, UK