3617. BACON, ASPARAGUS and GREEN SHISO LEAF TEMPURA

bacon
fresh asparagus spears
fresh perilla (green shiso) leaves, all cut into smaller than bite-sized pieces

Batter:
egg
flour
potato flour (or cornstarch)
ice-cold water
vegetable oil heated to 340 F (170 C) degrees in a wok or deep-sided pan.

Crack a fresh egg into a measuring cup and scramble it with a fork or tiny whisk. Add enough ice-cold water to the egg to reach the 1-cup mark on the measuring cup.

Sift 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 3 Tablespoons potato flour (katakuriko) or corn starch into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Pour the egg-water mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with fork or whisk very briefly to mix ingredients, but not too thoroughly. You want to leave some lumps and unmixed patches.

Take a little of the bacon, a little of the asparagus, and a little of the perilla and place them together in a small mixing bowl.

Spoon some of the batter over the ingredients in the small bowl and toss together, without worrying about coating the ingredients evenly.

Take a lightly-oiled metal spoon (the size of a soup spoon) and scoop the the battered ingredients from the bowl, then let them slide off the spoon gently into the hot oil in the pan.

After 30~60 seconds, remove the crispy ingredients from the oil with chopsticks or a metal net scoop, and lay it on a metal rack to drain, then to paper towels to drain some more.

Because of the bacon, this tempura is already seasoned and doesn’t need tempura sauce or salt, but you can sprinkle a little fresh lemon juice over it if you like.


bacon recipe source: Itadakimasu!, May 28, 2012

3559. BEER, BACON and STEAK SOBA BOWLS

serves four


3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lime, sliced
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 large daikon, trimmed and cut into matchsticks (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds petite filet or flat-iron steaks
12 ounces soba or whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons high temperature/stir fry cooking oil
1/2 pound smoky black pepper bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tamari
1 can Sapporo beer
4 cups beef stock (32 ounces)
shiso cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the vinegar, lime slices, water, salt and sugar in a saucepot over medium heat until at a low boil and sugar and salt dissolves. Pour the brine over the daikon and reserve.

Place the meat in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up for stability when thinly slicing.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook soba or spaghetti to al dente, according to the package directions.

Very thinly slice the beef against the grain.

Heat a large, round-bottom pot over high heat; add a little oil and brown and crisp the bacon. Remove to plate and spoon off all but 3 tablespoons fat. Add the beef in small batches to the hot drippings and stir fry it until brown and crispy at edges; remove to plate. Add the scallions to blister them, then add the garlic and edamame. Toss, then add the Worcestershire sauce and tamari; deglaze the pan with beer and reduce by half. Add the stock and simmer.

Divide the bacon, beef and noodles among bowls and top with soup. Garnish with the drained pickled daikon, shiso or cilantro leaves.

bacon recipe source: Rachael Ray, September 9, 2013

2889. SHRIMP TEMPURA with BACON TRUFFLE EMULSION

yields 24 servings

Bacon Truffle Emulsion:

1 pound smoked bacon
5 cups chicken stock
5 ounces unsalted butter
5 tablespoons white truffle oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Shrimp Tempura:

3 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise, leaving tail on one piece 

tempura batter, prepared according to package directions
salt and pepper
oil for deep-frying
truffle salt
1/4 cup scallion oil (recipe below)
microplaned yuzu zest, as needed
micro chervil, parsley and shiso, as needed
shiso chiffonade

To make scallion oil, in blender, purée until smooth 1 ounce chopped scallions (white and green parts), 1/4 cup canola oil and a pinch of salt. (Yield: 1/4 cup) 

To make bacon truffle emulsion, chop bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Sauté bacon until almost crispy. Drain fat and reserve; mince bacon pieces. In small saucepan, bring stock, bacon and 1 cup bacon fat to a simmer. Remove pan from heat; let steep for 10 minutes. Strain into another saucepan, pushing on bacon bits to extract flavor. Add butter and truffle oil; blend with handheld immersion blender. Set aside for service or refrigerate, covered, until needed. (Yield: 6 cups)

For each serving, to order, lightly season 2 ounces shrimp with salt and pepper. Dip in tempura batter; fry in hot (375°F) oil. When shrimp is half done, drizzle more tempura batter onto each piece of shrimp with your fingers; fry until crispy. Drain well; season lightly with truffle salt. Mound shrimp in bowl. Froth 1/4 cup truffle emulsion with immersion blender. Spoon some of the liquid from the emulsion around the shrimp but not on top. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon scallion oil. Spoon froth from emulsion over shrimp. Quickly add remaining garnishes; serve immediately. 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Tim Cushman, o ya, 9 East Street Place, Boston, MA

2631. BACON and SHISO FRIED RICE

makes two servings


8 ounces cooked rice, refrigerated for 2 days
2 strips of bacon, sliced thinly
10 shiso leaves, halved lengthwise, then sliced in thin strips
1 large egg
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon sake
3/4 teaspoon shoyu

Crack the egg in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt, pepper, a dash of sesame oil, and whisk well. Set aside. Heat a wok or large pan over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until almost crispy and let cool on a paper towel-lined plate. Clean the wok with a paper towel, heat the oil over medium heat, and coat the bottom and sides well. Turn down the heat to low and add the ginger and onion and cook until fragrant. Increase the heat to high and add the rice, breaking up clumps with the back of a wooden spoon and continue stirring until everything is incorporated. Add the bacon and toss to mix. Make a well at the center and pour the egg and scramble. Toss to combine. Add the sake and shoyu, then salt and pepper to taste. Toss until combined. Turn off the heat, mix in the shiso leaves and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Azusa, Humble Bean: A Contemporary Japanese Food Blog, June 23, 2009 | adapted from きょうの料理 2000年9月号

1320. FRIED SARDINES with BACON and SHISO

yields four first-course servings


3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon arrowroot or rice flour
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon sansho (Japanese pepper) or freshly ground white pepper
salt and freshly ground white pepper
6 fresh sardines ( 1/2 pound each), filleted, or four 6-ounce mackerel fillets, cut into 4-by-2-inch strips
6 slices of bacon, halved crosswise
6 shiso leaves, halved lengthwise, or 12 basil leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 Belgian endives, cored and cut into long thin strips

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the all-purpose flour and arrowroot. Mix in the water just until blended; do not overmix. Let stand for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sansho with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper.

Set the sardine fillets, skin side down, on a work surface and season with salt and white pepper. Top each fillet with a half slice of bacon and a shiso leaf half. Roll up the fillets, starting at the wider end; secure each roll with a toothpick.

In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest with 1/4 cup of the grapeseed oil. Season with salt and white pepper. Add the apples, toss to coat and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300°. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of grapeseed oil to 350° or until a bread cube turns golden in 1 minute. Dredge each sardine roll in flour and shake off the excess. Dip 4 of the rolls in the batter and fry until golden brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a rack set over a large baking sheet to drain. Keep warm in the oven while you dredge and fry the remaining rolls.

Add the endives to the apple salad and toss well. Arrange the salad on 4 plates and set 3 sardine rolls beside each salad. Dust with the sansho mixture and serve.


courtesy of: Tetsuya Wakuda, "The Art of Fusion," Food & Wine, September 1998