3113. VANILLA CHAI MAPLE BACON CRULLERS with STICKY SYRUP GLAZE

Donuts
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons room temp butter
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chai tea masala
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Topping
6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting

Heat oven to 350 and grease your pan. In a bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients. In another bowl, cream your butter and sugar together. Add in an egg and beat until just incorporated. Repeat with next egg, then add vanilla. Add half of the flour mix into the egg bowl and stir. Add the buttermilk and stir. Add the remaining flour and stir until incorporated. Again, do not over-mix. Evenly spread the batter in the crullers pan, and bake for maybe 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cook for a couple of minutes and then take them out. Make the glaze by melting the butter and syrup in a pan over medium until it comes to a boil. Stir in the sugar and then pour over the donuts. Add the bacon pieces on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Whitney, WhitBit's Indian Kitchen, May 24, 2013

3021. JASMINE TEA GLAZED ALASKAN SALMON with HOISIN-BRAISED BACON, GREEN RICE and ORANGE-CASHEW SALAD

yields eight servings


Jasmine tea glaze:
1 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake
2 tablespoons sugar
3 bags black jasmine tea
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Hoisin-braised bacon:
1 lb. slab bacon
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken stock, hot
1/3 cup hoisin sauce

Green rice:
3 cups chicken stock, hot
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Orange-cashew salad:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup julienned napa cabbage
1 cup julienned radicchio
3/4 cup toasted cashews
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
8 pieces wild Alaskan salmon, about 8 oz. each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For the jasmine tea glaze: Combine the mirin, sake and sugar in a pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced by two-thirds to a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and steep the tea bags for 5 minutes. Stir in the soy and set aside.

For the hoisin-braised bacon: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Score the fat side of the bacon in a crisscross pattern. Heat the oil over high heat in a skillet, add the bacon fat-side down, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until a rich brown color is obtained, 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 10 minutes more. Drain off the fat and add the chicken stock to come two-thirds of the way up the bacon slab. Braise in the oven for 45 minutes, and then brush with the hoisin and cook for 30 minutes more. Try to keep the level of chicken broth the same throughout braising.

Remove and let cool in the pan, and then remove the bacon and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Strain the liquid and return to the pan. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, about 30 minutes, and then stir in bacon. Cook until the bacon crisps and is well coated. Remove and let cool.

For the green rice: Puree 1 cup stock, the basil, chives, cilantro and mint in a food processor until smooth. Saute the onions in the oil in a saucepan until softened, and then add the rice and lightly toast. Add the butter, herb puree, remaining stock and some salt and black pepper, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Remove from the heat and keep covered.

For the salad: Combine the vinegar, mustard, sweet soy and some salt and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream. Toss in the cabbage, radicchio, cashews and oranges.

For the salmon: Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in large skillet over high heat and saute the salmon over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side. Add the tea glaze and cook for 45 seconds. Arrange the salmon over bacon slices, pour over more tea glaze, and serve with orange-cashew salad and timbales of the green rice.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Peggy Magister, "Crazy Water," America's Best Bite, Cooking Channel

2548. GREEN TEA SPINACH SALAD with BACON and HARD-COOKED EGGS

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 slices bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon green tea mix
1 to 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped or quartered
3 small red potatoes, unpeeled, cooked, sliced
8 cups lightly packed spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine spinach, potatoes, and mushrooms in salad bowl. In small skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain well, crumble and reserve. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat in skillet; cook onion in fat until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix cornstarch, apple juice and vinegar; add to skillet and heat to boiling. Boil, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in green tea mix. Pour hot dressing over spinach mixture and toss; add hard-cooked egg and reserved bacon and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Island Teas 

2145. WARM SALAD of TEA-SMOKED TROUT with CRISPY BACON, FRISEE and HORSERADISH

serves 6-8


For the tea-smoked trout
6oz demerara sugar
6oz long grain rice
leaves from 14 tea bags
olive oil, to drizzle
11½-12½oz fresh trout, heads removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
3½fl oz fish stock
3½fl oz double cream
2 tablespoons creamed horseradish sauce, from a jar
3½fl oz cider
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad
8oz smoked streaky bacon, rind removed
1oz butter
1 Golden Delicious apple, thinly sliced
7oz frisée lettuce, torn
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the tea-smoked trout, put the sugar, rice and tea leaves into a bowl and mix together. Line a wok with heavy-duty kitchen foil and pour the mixture on top. Cover with another layer of foil, drizzle over some olive oil and place the trout on top. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with another sheet of foil, sealing it tightly around the edges. Place on the hob over a moderate heat and leave the trout to smoke for a few minutes. Set aside. (CAUTION: tea-smoking generates a lot of smoke. Cook in a well-ventilated area.)

For the dressing, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan and continue to boil, uncovered, until reduced by half. Leave to cool.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the creamed horseradish, the cooled fish stock and cider. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the salad, place the bacon on a baking tray and cook in the oven until crisp.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the apple slices until soft and golden.

Remove the bacon from the oven and, when cold enough to handle, break into bite-size pieces.

Arrange the frisée lettuce on serving plates. Scatter the bacon on top, drizzle over some of the dressing, then scatter over the apple slices and chopped herbs. Spoon over the remainder of the dressing and top with the smoked trout. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: James Martin, Stately Suppers, BBC-Food

1943. BACON and CASHEW CARAMEL CORN

makes about 15 cups


1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces bacon, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews (one 2.5-ounce package)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 oolong tea bag
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Heat popcorn and oil in covered heavy large pot over medium-high heat until kernels begin to pop. Using oven mitts, hold lid on pot and shake pot until popping stops. Pour popcorn into very large bowl. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain; cool. Add bacon and cashews to bowl with popcorn. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cayenne; toss to coat.

Bring cream and tea bag just to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; let steep 15 minutes, occasionally pressing on tea bag with back of spoon to release flavor. Discard tea bag.

Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick spray. Coat 2 wooden spoons or heat-resistant spatulas with nonstick spray; set aside. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 13 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir until blended. Immediately drizzle caramel over popcorn mixture; toss with sprayed spoons until evenly coated. Transfer to sheet.

Place caramel corn in oven and bake until caramel is shiny and coats popcorn, tossing mixture occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack, tossing occasionally to break up large clumps.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Colt & Gray, 1553 Platte Street, Denver, Colorado 80202 | Bon Appétit, September 2010