3543. CHICORY SALAD with CRISPY BACON and HAZELNUTS

serves four


Dressing
1 heaped teaspoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil
2 oz low-fat fromage frais

Salad
5 oz smoked or unsmoked bacon lardons
3 heads of chicory (red or green or a mixture)
2 oz roasted and chopped hazelnuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

To make the dressing, whisk the mustard with the sugar and some seasoning in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil a tablespoon at a time until you have a thick emulsion. Stir in the fromage frais and thin to the consistency of double cream with a little water (about 2 teaspoons). Give the dressing another stir before serving.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the lardons for 6-8 minutes until golden, stirring frequently (no need to add oil; the rendered bacon fat will be enough). Drain on a double thickness of kitchen paper and leave to cool.

Trim the heads of chicory, discarding the outer leaves. Halve and thinly slice each one lengthways, then halve across. To serve, arrange all the salad ingredients on 4 plates or in bowls, drizzling over the dressing as you go.


bacon recipe source: Annie Bell, MailOnline (@MailOnline)/DailyMail, November 9, 2013

2711. BACON, EGG and CHICORY SALAD

serves four


7 oz. smoked rindless streaky bacon, diced
6 medium eggs
6 heads mixed red and green chicory

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts optional

Dressing
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 scant teaspoon caster sugar
sea salt
4 tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil
3 tablespoons groundnut or vegetable oil

Fry the bacon in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until golden, then drain on a double thickness of kitchen paper and leave to cool. At the same time, bring a medium-sized pan of water to the boil, gently lower in the eggs and simmer for 7 minutes. Drain the pan, refill with cold water and leave the eggs to cool.

Trim the heads of chicory and separate into leaves, discarding any damaged outer ones.

To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, mustard, sugar and a little salt together in a medium-sized bowl, then gradually whisk in the oils a tablespoon or two at a time until combined into a thick, deep-yellow dressing. Give it another quick whisk just before serving.

Shell and halve the eggs, which should still be slightly runny in the centre. Arrange the leaves, bacon and eggs on a platter or individual plates, drizzling over the dressing as you go (you may have some left over). Scatter over the walnuts if wished and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Annie Bell, Daily Mail Online, February 4, 2012

2375. SALAD with BACON, GOAT CHEESE and GOJI BERRIES

yields four servings


For Salad
1 bag mixed salad greens (approx. 5 oz.)
goat cheese crumbles
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup bacon, cooked until crisp
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

For Dressing
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried
1 tablespoon shallots

In small bowl whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Toss salad greens in serving bowl with walnuts, bacon and tomatoes. Add vinaigrette and mix until evenly distributed. Top with goat cheese. Garnish with goji berries.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Himalania, Brand Storm, Inc., Los Angeles, California

2198. WILTED MESCLUN and CHEVRE with ROASTED TOMATO and BACON VINAIGRETTE

3 cups mixed greens and 3 cups baby spinach combined in a large bowl
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick
4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 large heirloom tomato, cut in half
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup combination of chopped parsley and thyme
3 ounces of crumbled Ile de France goat chevre plus extra for garnish

For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup roasted tomato skins
3/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup walnut oil or olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, toss together heirloom tomato, first part of olive oil, chopped garlic and herbs, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. When thoroughly covered with herbs and oil, place tomatoes on a baking pan, reserving the leftover oil, herbs and garlic in the bowl for the vinaigrette. Place pan in oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until skins are wrinkled. When finished, remove tomatoes from oven and let cool, 6 minutes. Carefully peel the skin and reserve for the vinaigrette.

While the tomatoes are roasting, in a medium sized skillet on medium heat, render the fat from the chopped bacon by cooking, 8 minutes. When bacon is crisp and cooked, remove from pan to a paper towel. Retain at least 2 tablespoons of bacon fat, and while the pan is still at medium heat, cook onions until soft, 10 minutes. Remove onions from pan and set aside. Continuing the pan on medium heat, add sherry and apple cider vinegar, reduce and heat through, 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In a food processor, add crumbled, cooked bacon, roasted tomato skins, heated sherry and apple cider vinegar and pulse until bacon and skins are rendered to tiny pieces. Add mustard, pulse. While processing, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar blend until fully integrated. Add reserved tomato marinade, pulse. Add honey and pulse. Salt and pepper to taste. When completed, pour finished vinaigrette into a medium sized pan over medium heat and heat through until vinaigrette is gently bubbling. Remove quickly and set aside.

Add cooked onions and goat cheese to the mixed greens and toss gently. Add half of the heated vinaigrette to the greens and fold continuously. Add rest of vinaigrette, if necessary, until all of the greens are lightly coated with vinaigrette and slightly softened. Pile greens on a plate, top with roasted tomato, and add additional goat cheese for garnish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Cynthia, Cook of Ages, September 30, 2008

2097. ESCAROLE with BACON, DATES and WARM WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

yields four servings


1 7- to 8-ounce head of escarole, coarsely torn
6 Medjool dates, halved, pitted, diced
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
5 bacon slices, cut crosswise into strips
1/3 cup walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
fine sea salt

Combine escarole, dates, and walnuts in large bowl. Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add bacon to bowl with salad.

Discard drippings from skillet; add walnut oil. Place over low heat. Add shallot; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add vinegar and whisk to blend. Season vinaigrette with sea salt and black pepper. Gradually add warm dressing to salad, tossing to coat. Divide among plates.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Myra Goodman and Sarah LaCasse, Bon Appétit, February 2011

2057. ROAST PARTRIDGE with BACON and KALE, SPICED APPLE SAUCE and WALNUT SAUCE

serves four


For the roast partridge
1 tbsp olive oil
4 whole oven-ready partridges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 rashers streaky bacon
5oz curly kale leaves, roughly chopped
2oz unsalted butter

For the spiced apple sauce
2lb 4oz sweet red apples, peeled, cores removed, each apple cut into eight wedges
17fl oz dry cider
9oz caster sugar (approximate measure: see step 6 below)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp mixed spice

For the walnut sauce
1 pint beef stock
3½fl oz walnut oil
1 lemon, juice only

To serve
3½oz whole walnuts, shells removed
½ bunch fresh marjoram, leaves only
3½fl oz rapeseed oil

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Heat the olive oil in a very large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Season the partridges all over, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay one slice of streaky bacon over the breast of each partridge.

When the pan is hot, add the partridges, breast-side down, and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Continue to turn the partridges, cooking until browned on all sides.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the partridges for a further 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. (NOTE: The partridges are cooked through when the juices run clear when the partridges are pierced in the thickest part using a skewer.) Remove from the oven and set aside to rest on a warm plate for five minutes. Reserve the pan and its juices.

Meanwhile, for the spiced apple sauce, bring the apple wedges and cider to the boil in a large frying pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the apple wedges have broken down to the consistency of apple sauce. Strain the softened apple mixture through a fine sieve.

Weigh the strained apples, then weigh out half of the apple weight of sugar (this procedure will give the correct measurement of one part sugar to two parts apple mixture.)

Heat the apple mixture, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice in a saucepan until all of the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes. (NOTE: The apple mixture is ready when a spoonful of the mixture placed onto a plate does not release any liquid.)

Meanwhile, for the walnut sauce, bring the beef stock to a simmer over a low heat. Continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of stock has reduced to 150ml/5fl oz.

Blend the warm, reduced stock and the walnut oil in a food processor until the mixture is thick and glossy. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Set aside.

Blanch the kale in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and refresh in ice cold water. Drain again and set aside.

Just before serving, heat the butter in the frying pan you used to cook the partridge. Remove the bacon from the partridge breasts and chop into pieces. When the butter is foaming, add the bacon and curly kale, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring well, until warmed through.

To serve, mix together the walnuts, marjoram and rapeseed oil in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Spoon the spiced apple sauce into a piping bag. Dot the plate with small spots of spiced apple sauce. Spoon the kale and bacon mixture into the center of each of four serving plates. Carve the legs and breast away from the partridges, placing the meat back onto the carcass for presentation. Place each partridge on top of the kale and bacon mixture. Drizzle over the walnut sauce. Spoon the walnut and marjoram dressing around the edge of each plate.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lawrence Keogh, Saturday Kitchen, BBC-Food

1840. CURD with CHIVE and BREAD CRUST with BACON

serves four


Curd
1/3 lb. curd
1.8 oz. double cream
salt and pepper
1 bunch of minced chives
2 teaspoon vinaigrette, composed of walnut oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar
4 small dandelions, washed
4 small round forms of 1.6 in, oiled

The bacon bread crusts
3 oz. liquid leaven (sour dough)
2 slices of smoked bacon
butter
onion compote
1/2 lb. hacked onions
3/4 oz. butter
2/5 cups red wine vinegar
2/5 cups water
salt and pepper

The reduction:
2/5 cups port wine
2/5 cups red wine

Curd preparation: Mix the curd with double cream. Season with salt and pepper and fill the 4 round forms. Season the 4 dandelions with some vinaigrette. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the chive and put is on the curd forms. Store it cold.

Preparation of the bacon bread crust: Butter a cake form and, using a brush, spread the liquid leaven over a dimension of 4.7- 1.6 in. Mince the bacon slice and spread them, diagonally, on the bread crusts. Cook in the oven at 428 degrees F, like for sugared biscuit.

Preparation of the onion compote: Sweat the hacked onions in butter with salt and pepper. Deice with red wine vinegar and water. Let it very gently cook on the flame, until the onions turn into a compote.

Reduction preparation: Boil down the port wine and red wine until obtaining a syrup-like consistency.

Ending and presentation: Place a small curd with chive in a concave dish. Remove the circle. Put a nice scoop of onion compote and a dandelion at the side. Sting a bread crust in the curd and pour some drops of the reduction around it.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Georges Wenger, Hotel-Restaurant Georges W, 2, rue de la gare, Le Noirmont, France

1641. ESCARGOT FRICASSEE with MUSHROOMS, BRUSSEL SPROUTS and CANDIED BACON JAM

yields two servings


14 snails, cleaned, purged, fully cooked
1/8 lb butter, unsalted
1 cup Brussels sprouts, leaves only
1 cup chanterelles, cleaned and quartered
6 cipollini onions, quartered and peeled
½ lemon
salt, pepper, cayenne or espelette pepper

For Bacon Jam:
1 cup bacon, cut into 2” X 1” X 1/2” pieces
¼ cup yellow onions, julienned
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

For Parsley Puree:
2 bunches fresh parsley
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon orange oil
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

For Bacon Jam: Render bacon in a heavy sauté pan in hot 500-degree F oven until bacon is crispy. Pull from oven and remove bacon. Cook julienned onions in the remaining bacon fat, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan until onions are dark golden. Add brown sugar and stir to coat. Add a third of the chicken stock and place pan back in the oven to simmer. Reduce mixture until thick, almost au sec (approx 5-15 minutes). Watch carefully that it doesn’t burn. Add half of the remaining stock and reduce again until thick. Add all of the remaining stock and remove pan from the oven. Season with salt, pepper, and espelette to taste. Pour contents into a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Pour contents back into sauté pan and stir in honey to combine. Put pan back into oven and cook stirring frequently until deep brick red color is reached. Re-season and mount with butter. Allow to cool to warm temperature. Reserve.

For Parsley Puree: Blanch, shock, and drain parsley with stems in tact. Puree in blender with oils and a pinch of salt until smooth. Reserve.

For Snails: Melt butter in sauté pan. Add cipollini onions and cook in 500-degree F oven until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Add chanterelles to pan and place back in oven. Cook until caramelized. Add Brussels sprout leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add snails and cook until heated through. Season and add juice and zest of ½ a lemon. Add a few splashed of cold water to emulsify sauce. Reserve.

To Serve: Spoon a tablespoon of bacon jam onto the plate. Using spoon, stretch the jam to make an elongated shape. Drain fricassee on towels and spoon onto plate slightly overlapping bacon jam. Sprinkle lightly with espelette. Drizzle a small spoonful of parsley puree in front of both components.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Kevin Gillespie, Quickfire Challenge Winner, Top Chef, Season 6, Episode 4

1287. FOIE GRAS and SCALLOP and BACON SALAD with MUSCAT WINE DRESSING

serves one


For the dressing
200 ml muscat wine
150 grams unsalted butter
salt
150 grams tranche of duck foie gras
2 large hand-dived scallops
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

For the salad
mixed leaves
½ orange, in segments
1 tablespoon shallots, diced
1 tablespoon lentils, cooked
1 tablespoon tomato concassé
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
walnut vinaigrette (four parts walnut oil to one part vinegar)
30 grams bacon, grilled and crumbled

To make the dressing, bring the Muscat to the boil. Ignite to burn off alcohol. Whisk in butter. Return to boil and season. Keep warm.

Put the oil in a pan and when hot sear the foie gras on both sides. Place the foie gras on buttered paper, put it into the oven and cook until just tender inside.
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Sear the scallops on both sides in hot oil and butter.

In a separate bowl, mix the salad ingredients together and then place in the centre of plate. Drain the foie gras and scallops and place on top of salad. Pour dressing around plate and serve.


courtesy of: Clive Dixon | Caterer Search, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK

1281. ROAST GROUSE with BREAD SAUCE, BACON SALAD and GAME CHIPS

serves four


2 grouse
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
A couple of good knobs of butter
60-70 grams unsliced smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1/2cm cubes
handful of small salad leaves
flour for dusting
1/2 tablespoon good quality red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons walnut oil

For the bread sauce
1 small onion, peeled and halved
50 grams butter
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
500 ml milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
120 grams fresh white breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

First make the bread sauce: finely chop half the onion and cook it gently in half the butter until soft. Stud the other half with the cloves, pushing them through the bay leaf to anchor it. Put the milk, nutmeg and studded onion in the saucepan with the cooked onion and bring to the boil. Season and simmer for 10–15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave the sauce to infuse for 30 minutes or so. Take out and discard the studded onion. Add the breadcrumbs and return one-third of the bread sauce from the pan into a blender and process, then return to the pan and add the remaining 25g butter. Stir until the sauce has amalgamated, check and correct the seasoning and transfer to a shallow container so the sauce is about 1cm thick, leave to cool and place in the fridge for a few hours until set.

Preheat the oven to 220/gas mark 7. Season the grouse, rub with the softened butter then place in a tray and roast for 15 minutes, keeping the grouse pink. Turn the set bread sauce out on to a board and cut into four pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, then coat the set bread sauce in flour. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and fry the slices of bread sauce on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove the breasts and legs from the grouse and shred up any bits of meat that are left on the bone and toss through the salad with the bacon and lightly dress and season. Slice the breast and arrange on the bread sauce then arrange on plates with the salad with a few crisps in among the salad leaves.


courtesy of: Mark Hix, The Independent, Saturday, September 22, 2007

1239. BACON WALNUT SNOW PEA SALAD

serves 12


750 grams snow peas
200 grams bacon, cut in small strips
100 grams walnuts
a handful of fresh parsley
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons basil olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Cook the snow peas until tender but still crunchy, preferably in a steam basket to retain the nutrients and color. Cook the bacon strips in a large skillet for about ten minutes, until they've released some of their fat and they start to turn golden and crispy. Remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Chop the walnuts, not too finely. Wash and dry the parsley, pick the leaves and chop them. In a salad bowl, mix together the vinegar, the basil olive oil and the walnut oil. Notice that you're running out of both oils. Experience a slight panic at the thought. Caress the cheering idea of getting hazelnut oil instead. Add the snow peas, walnuts, bacon and fresh herbs in the bowl, and toss to coat and even out the goodies.


courtesy of: Clotilde Dusoulier, Chocolate & Zucchini

993. ARUGULA and FRISEE with PECORINO ROMANO, BACON and TOASTED PECANS

Organic baby arugula
Organic frisee
6 slices cooked bacon, broken into small pieces
Handful toasted pecans or walnuts, broken into pieces
Handful pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
Walnut oil vinaigrette, see below

Combine all ingredients but cheese, then add cheese.

Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red or sherry vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
6 tablespoons roasted walnut oil

Combine all ingredients and whisk until thick. Adjust oil or vinegar as needed.


courtesy of: Norma Lehmeier, Norma's Journal, Harmonious Environment