397. BACON, ORANGE, and CREAM FRUIT SALAD

Serves 8


1 3-1/2 or 3-3/4 oz. package Instant Vanilla Pudding
1-1/2 cup milk
1 lb. bacon cooked and drained
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks drained
1 16 oz. can peaches drained, sliced
1 11 oz. can Mandarin orange sections drained
2 medium apples cored and chopped
1/2 6 oz. can (1/3 cup) frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
3/4 cup sour cream
3 medium bananas sliced

Combine pudding mix with milk. Cook vanilla pudding according to directions.
Mix remaining ingredients into pudding and serve.


courtesy of: Lisa Larrigan / Farmer John Meats, Clougherty Packing Company, 3049 E. Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90058

396. HONEY and MUSTARD ROAST BACON JOINT

serves 3 to 4


1 large Bacon joint (either smoked or unsmoked)

Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon chilli powder
4 cloves, crushed or ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Rinse the Bacon under a cold tap, and dry with kitchen towel, then slice the Bacon joint in half to create two smaller joints. Place them in a shallow roasting tin/dish.

Thoroughly mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over the Bacon making sure the meat is well covered.

If possible, cover with aluminium foil and refridgerate overnight or as long as possible.
Cooking

Heat the oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) for a fan assisted oven. Place the meat in the oven, covered with aluminium foil.

Cook covered for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and baste the meat in the sauce. Replace and cook covered for another 20 minutes. Baste the meat again and replace in the oven, this time with the foil removed. Cook for a final 10 - 20 minutes until the top is nicely crisp and the meat cooked through.

Remove from the oven and serve either hot or leave to cool.


NOTE: Don't worry if you don't have all the ingredients. Any mustard can be used and the lemon and lime juice can be substituted for each other if lacking one. The small amount of chilli powder is used to help bring out the flavours, and provided it is not really hot, its presence will hardly be noticed.

This sauce can also be used on Bacon steaks. Mix the sauce ingredients together with i tsp of cornflour and place in a pan.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This dish can be served immediately from the oven with roast potatoes and freshly cooked vegetables. Alternatively, leave to cool and eat cold with a salad or in a sandwich.


courtesy of: ThePigSite.com

395. SWEET POTATO and BACON SWISS CHARD BUNDLES

yield: 8 servings


2 bunches Swiss chard
1 1/2 large sweet potatoes
1 Idaho potato
1 Spanish onion, finely diced
1 cup smoked bacon, diced
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped

Remove the stalk from the Swiss chard leaves. Follow the sides of the stalk in a V- shaped pattern as
you approach the top of the leaf. Many times the leaf will stay intact, however the leaf may split in two.
Either way will work. Wash the leaves and poach in boiling salted water for 15 seconds. Shock in ice
water. Drain and set aside.

Bake the potatoes in the oven until soft. Cool and peel potatoes. Dice into medium nuggets and set
aside. Brown the bacon in a large heavy skillet over high heat. When the bacon is golden brown add
onions and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add sage and both potatoes. Let cook
for another 10-15 minutes over medium heat. The potatoes will crush and the mix will resemble chunky
mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool and set aside.

To prepare the bundles, lay out the Swiss chard leaves on the counter top. The surface of one leaf
should be 6-7 inches in diameter. (Put two together if necessary.) The inside of the leaf should face up.
Divide the potato mix into 8 equal portions (each portion should be close to 3 ounces). Place a portion
of potato on the bottom half of the chard leaf and roll the leaf around the mix. Start by folding the bottom
end of the leaf over the potato. Roll once over and fold in the sides. Continue to roll over until it resembles
a short log. Repeat with remaining bundles then place in a buttered baking dish. Brush with olive oil and
bake at 325°F until warm in the center.


courtesy of: Michael Smith & Debbie Gold, Co-Executive Chefs, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Missouri

394. TOMATO and SMOKED BACON BITES

Serves: 4-6


8 slices smoked bacon, diced in ¼-inch pieces, fried and drained
16-20 cherry tomatoes
½ cup Miracle Whip® dressing
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped (or 1 tablespoon dried)

Cut a thin slice off each tomato top. Scoop out pulp and discard (or use in another recipe). In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon mixture into hollow tomatoes, arrange on plate and serve.


courtesy of: Nueske's Hillcrest Farm, Wisconsin

393. PIEROGI LASAGNA with BACON

5 lbs. Potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
10 slices American cheese
Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 sticks margarine
1 box lasagna noodles, boiled
1/2 lb. Bacon, fried (optional)
2/3 cup chopped onions (sauté in margarine)
1 pkg. Mozzarella cheese (8 or 12 oz.)

To mashed potatoes, add salt, pepper, some mild and American cheese slices. Put a little margarine in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Layer lasagna noodles, potato mixture (sealing along sides) and sautéed onions on top, then sprinkle on Mozzarella cheese. Continue layers. Crumbled bacon may be sprinkled on top. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1/ 2 hour if mixture is warm. Bake at 325 degrees for about 2 hours if mixture is refrigerated.


courtesy of: Alice Kuhar, WELW/1330 AM, P.O. Box 1330, Willoughby, Ohio 44096

392. GRILLED CORN ON THE COB WRAPPED with BACON

serves 8


8 ears corn
8 slices bacon
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat a grill to high (if using a charcoal grill, the coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for just 1 to 2 seconds). Pull back husks to stem end (do not remove), exposing corn. Discard silk, using a vegetable brush to remove it completely.

Wrap 1 strip of bacon around each ear of corn. Pull corn husks back up, covering bacon and corn. Tie open end of husks with kitchen twine.

Grill corn, turning occasionally with tongs, until kernels are tender and bacon is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes (husks will blacken). Transfer corn to a large bowl or platter; serve with salt and pepper for seasoning.


courtesy of: Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2005, from the editors of Martha Stewart Living. New York: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., 2004. p. 190.

391. ALASKAN KING CRAB, BRIE, and BACON WRAP SANDWICH

serves 4


1 lb. Alaska King Crab meat
4 (12-14 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
4 oz brie cheese, ripe, diced
4 cups mixed baby lettuces
1 cup tomato, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

Mix the dill and mayonnaise together in a bowl. Place king crab meat and brie together in a sauté pan; warm over medium heat until cheese starts to melt. Lay out the warm tortillas and spread 1 oz of the dill-mayonnaise over each. Top with 1/4 of the crab and brie mixture, 1 cup of the mixed lettuces, 1/4 cup diced tomato, and 1 slice of bacon, crumbled. Fold in the ends and roll up like a cigar. Cut in half at an angle.


courtesy: Fisherman's Express, Alaska Seafoods, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska

390. ROMAINE LETTUCE and BACON SALAD

1 head Romaine lettuce
1 red onion, sliced in thin rings
1/2 lb. Edwards' bacon, fried crisp
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise (thin with 1 capful vinegar)
Parmesan Cheese

Wash, dry and tear lettuce into bite-size pieces. Using a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex baking dish or large platter, lay alternate layers of the lettuce, then onion slice rings. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles over top. Then drizzle mixture of sour cream, sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar over top of salad. Cover with generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. (Cover the dressing completely.) Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.


courtesy of: Linda Buckingham / S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Inc., 11455 Rolfe Highway, PO Box 25, Surrey, Virginia, 23883

389. MUSSEL, BACON, and BRIE TARTS

serves 8


For the Parmesan Pastry
140g butter
225g plain flour
50g grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium egg, beaten with 1-tablespoon milk

For the Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Red onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
100g bacon or pancetta, cubed
4 medium eggs
300mls-thickened cream
3 tablespoons snipped chives
500g cooked shelled mussels or 2kg fresh mussels, cooked in a little white wine for 5 mins and then remove the meat from the shells.
200g ripe Brie, cubed
200g mixed salad leaves, to serve
French dressing, to serve

Rub the butter, flour and Parmesan together in a bowl until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg mix and quickly bring it all together into a dough. Knead lightly a few times with floured hands until smooth. Shape into a flat ball, cover in cling wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 200C/fan forced 180C. Roll the pastry out into 5mm thick and line a 25 x 3cm metal flan dish. Fill with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake blind for 5-7 minutes until the pastry feels dry. Remove beans and paper and bake for a further 4-6 minutes, until lightly golden. Leave to cool.

Reduce the oven to 180C/fan forced 160C. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 3 minutes until softened, but not coloured. Add the garlic and bacon, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and cream with the chives, then fold in the onion, bacon and mussels. Season to taste. Set the case on a baking sheet. Spoon the mix in and scatter the Brie over the top, pushing into the mix here and there. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the filling is just firm and golden.

Serve warm with the dressed leaves and some fresh crusty bread. And perhaps a nice glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc.


courtesy of: Roger Bayley / Roger Bayley's "Recipe of the Week," ABC South East Mornings with Tim Holt

388. JELLIED RABBIT with BACON

serves four

takes about 2 days to prepare


1 tame rabbit or 2 wild rabbits, chopped up but bone in (if tame, you may get 3 sections out of the saddle)
10 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 bottle of white wine
2 pig’s trotters
2 heads of garlic, skin on
a bundle of thyme tied together
10 black peppercorns
1 quart light chicken stock
¾ to 1 lb. thinly sliced unsmoked streaky bacon
2 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Marinate the rabbit and shallots in the white wine in a nonmetal container in the fridge overnight. Meanwhile, place the trotters in a pot with the garlic, thyme, and peppercorns, cover with the chicken stock, and bring them to a gentle simmer. Cover, and keeping an eye on it cook for 3 hours. Strain (if you want to you can add the trotter flesh to the final dish, otherwise discard it), return the liquid to a pan, and reduce by half. Allow to cool.

Next day, line an ovenproof covered crock with the bacon. Mix the rabbit and shallot-wine marinade with the trotter stock (this may have jellied so it might have to be melted) and bay leaves. Check the seasoning, remembering the salty bacon flavor, and also that you will be eating it cold so it will need a flavor boost. Pour the rabbit and its mixture into the lined crock, cover, and place in a medium 350 degree oven for 2½ hours, keeping an eye on it so it never cooks too fast. Check with a small, sharp knife that the rabbit is cooked. When cooked allow the whole crock to cool and then place it in the fridge overnight. Next day, serve cold from the crock with hot boiled potatoes with lots of chopped curly parsley.


courtesy of: The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, by Fergus Henderson. New York: Harper Collins/Ecco, 2004, p. 121.

387. BACON TACOS

12 slices bacon 

1 package of taco seasoning 

Chopped purple onion

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomato

Salsa

Sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Flour tortillas

Cook bacon with taco seasoning, and then drain. Serve like you would Tacos


Broadbent Hams, 6321 Hopkinsville Road, Cadiz, Kentucky 42211

386. BACON CORN CHOWDER

1/2 lb. bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 (17-oz.) can cream-style corn
1 can cream of potato soup
2 tablespoon sugar
4 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Fry bacon with onion. Drain fat. Stir in rest of ingredients. Heat until cheese is melted and chowder starts to bubble. Garnish with chopped parsley and paprika. Serves 6. Note: You may want to taste before adding sugar. Also I used a little salt and pepper.

courtesy of: Linda Limpert / S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Inc., 11455 Rolfe Highway, PO Box 25, Surrey, Virginia, 23883

385. BACON and GREEN CHILI QUICHE

serves 6


1 refrigerated pie crust (half of15-ounce package), room temperature
8 strips bacon
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 1/4 cups half and half
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Unfold crust. Using wet fingertips, press together any tears. Press crust into 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Press foil over crust to hold shape. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven; remove foil. Reduce temperature to 400°F.

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon. Sprinkle bacon, then chilies and green onion over crust. Combine Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese and sprinkle over. Beat half and half, eggs and salt in medium bowl to blend. Pour half and half mixture into crust.

Bake quiche until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let quiche stand 5 minutes. Cut quiche into wedges and serve.


courtesy of: Bon Appétit, June 1996 / Gayle Gardner, Albuquerque, New Mexico

384. HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS with MOREL MUSHROOMS, RAMP GREENS, SMOKED BACON and CURRIED CARROT BROTH

serves 4


Curried Carrot Broth (recipe follows)
1 pound morels, thoroughly cleaned (substitute portobello mushrooms when morels aren't available)
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons beef stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 ounce smoked slab bacon, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ramp greens (substitute collard greens, mustard greens or spinach--or a combination)
4 1/2-ounce slices of foie gras

Curried Carrot Broth:
2 cups carrot juice
3 tablespoons curry butter (recipe follows)

Place carrot juice in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until juice is reduced to 1 cup. Strain through cheesecloth, return to pan and set aside.

Curry Butter:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 small clove garlic, chopped
2 ounce cooking apple, chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch turmeric
Pinch paprika
1/4 small bay leaf
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sweat the shallot and garlic in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil until translucent. Add the chopped apple and cook over low heat until the apple is soft. Add the curry powder, turmeric, paprika, bay leaf and the other teaspoon of oil and cook over a low flame for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and purée. Pass through a fine sieve. Cool purée to room temperature. Cut butter into pieces and place in a food processor with the cooled purée and process until smooth. Keep refrigerated until needed. Just before serving bring reduced carrot juice back to a boil and whisk in the curry butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Thoroughly clean morels by soaking in salted water for about 10 minutes, then rinsing under cool running water several times. Drain. Place morels in a roasting pan with the garlic, rosemary, parsley and beef stock. Cover with foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, sweat shallots with the butter in a heavy saucepan. When the morels are finished roasting, add them to the shallots and sauté them over medium heat for about three minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Set aside, but keep warm.

Place bacon cubes in a heavy skillet and cook over medium high heat until the fat is completely rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the bacon fat in the pan and add the thoroughly washed and dried greens. Sauté over medium heat until wilted. Set aside, but keep warm.

Heat a non-stick heavy skillet over medium heat. Quickly sear the foie gras pieces, approximately 45 seconds on each side. Take care to not overcook or the foie gras will begin to melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble: Mound one-quarter of the greens into the center of each of four warm flat bowls, such as a rimmed soup plate. Place seared foie gras on top. Arrange morels and bacon about the plate, then pour the Curried Carrot Broth around the dish.

NOTE: Fresh Hudson Valley Foie Gras is available by special order from specialty butchers or by phone through D'Artagnan (1-800-327-8246). Fresh foie gras from the West Coast can be ordered from Sonoma Foie Gras (707-938-1229).


courtesy of: Charlie Trotter, Chicago, Illinois / King Estate Winery, 80854 Territorial Rd, Eugene, Oregon 97405

383. CHOKKA HERRING with BACON

serves 4


8 (or more) fresh herring
large knob (25g) of butter
2 bacon rashers
1 small onion
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped
50 g of mushrooms (optional)
3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of cream
Pinch of mixed herbs
Salt
Black pepper

Scale, gut and fillet the fish, wash and dry. Chop the onion and bacon finely. Melt butter in a frypan and fry the bacon over a low heat, stirring to prevent it sticking, for about three minutes. Add the onion and fry until it is soft and transparent.

If using mushrooms, clean and chop them finely. Add them to the pan and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add breadcrumbs, chopped egg, mixed herbs, and cream. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Lay half the fillets on the bottom of a well buttered narrow baking dish. On top of these, make a thick layer of the mixture.

Place the rest of the fillets on top of the mixture and press the resulting 'sandwich' firmly together. Place some small knobs of butter on top and dust the sandwich lightly with salt and pepper.

Place the dish in a moderately hot oven (190 deg C) and cook for about 25 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes and tomato sauce.


courtesy of: Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, Locked Bag 39, Cloisters Square WA 6850, Australia

382. MACARONI and CHEESE CARBONARA

makes 10 servings


3 1/4 cups large elbow macaroni (about 11 ounces)
12 bacon slices, chopped
3 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs made from French bread (about 4 ounces -- approximately half of an 8-ounce loaf)
1 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 1/2 cups (packed) grated Fontina cheese (about 14 ounces)
1 1/4 cups frozen peas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse and drain again; set aside.

Cook bacon in large pot, until crisp. Transfer bacon and 1/4 cup pan drippings to large bowl. Add bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the parsley to bacon; toss to coat.

Add minced garlic to remaining pan drippings in pot and saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and whisk 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in whole milk, then egg yolks, salt and pepper. Cook until mixture thickens, whisking constantly, about 12 minutes. Add 2 cups Fontina cheese and remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese; whisk until cheeses melt. Remove from heat. Mix in peas, macaroni and remaining parsley. Stir in remaining Fontina. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over macaroni mixture. Bake just until topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.


courtesy of: Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

381. BACON CHEESEBURGER CAKE

yields 20 servings


1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (13 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans vanilla frosting
yellow food coloring
red food coloring
3 vanilla wafer cookies
1 large roll of red fruit leather
4 caramels, with stripes
8 yellow chewy fruit-flavored candy squares
1 (16 ounce) container chocolate frosting
1 large roll of green fruit leather
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven according to instructions on cake mix box; prepare mix. Grease and flour a 9 inch pan, and a shallow metal bowl at least 9 inches in diameter. Fill the 9 inch cake pan 2/3 full with cake batter; pour the remaining batter into the prepared metal bowl (this will be the top of your "bun"). Bake according to directions, remove from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Grease and flour a 9 inch pan. Prepare brownie batter, and bake according to instructions on box. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Shave off the sharp edges of the brownie, making it resemble a hamburger patty.

Place 1/4 cups of vanilla frosting in a heavy duty plastic sandwich bag, and color with yellow food coloring to make your mustard. Repeat a second time using the red food coloring to make your ketchup. Place remaining frosting in a bowl, and color with a mix of red and yellow food coloring until you arrive at the color of a hamburger bun.

Cut the cookies in half and wrap with pieces of red fruit leather to create your tomatoes. Unwrap the caramels, and heat in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to slightly soften. Roll the caramels individually between sheets of waxed paper to create bacon strips. Microwave the chewy fruit-flavored candy squares, place together, and roll between sheets of waxed paper to create your cheese slice; trim into a square shape.

To assemble, place bottom bun on your serving dish, and spread with some of the hamburger bun frosting. Place brownie on top of this, and spread it with chocolate frosting. Decorate edges with the tomatoes, bacon, cheese, mustard, and ketchup; use the green fruit leather as lettuce. Place top bun over this and spread with the remaining hamburger bun frosting; sprinkle with sesame seeds.


courtesy of: Kry Hanes, Mons, Belgium

380. PEANUT BUTTER and BACON TOSTADA

makes 1 serving


1 6-inch flour tortilla
1 tablespoon chunk-style peanut butter
1 slice bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled; or 1 tablespoon cooked bacon pieces

Place tortilla under the broiler. Broil 3 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until crisp; turning once. Remove tortilla from broiler. Spread tortilla with peanut butter. Top with bacon, Return to broiler and broil for 40 to 45 seconds more or until heated through.


courtesy of: Betters Homes and Gardens

379. SOUTHERN-STYLE APPLE-BACON ROAST TURKEY

makes 8 servings


1 (14 to 15 pounds) turkey
8 cups cold water
4 large stalks celery
1 Vandalia onion, quartered
1 tart green apple, quartered
1/2 cup bacon drippings
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a large pot at moderate heat, remove the neck, heart, and gizzard from the turkey and place in pot. Add the water and 2 celery stocks. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate-low and simmer 1-hour. Strain the ingredients into a large measuring cup. Return the stock to the pot. Simmer until you reduce stock to 4-cups or 30-minutes.

Rinse turkey, both inside and out. Pat the turkey dry. Place the turkey into a large roasting pan. In the main cavity, place the onion, apple, and remaining 2 stalks celery. Rub the outside of the turkey with the bacon drippings. Sprinkle with 1/2 - teaspoon salt and ¼ - teaspoon pepper. Cover the turkey with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour turkey stock into the roasting pan.

Place turkey in oven, roast 1-1/2 hours, and remove foil. Baste turkey with pan juices. Insert the meat thermometer into thickest part of thigh. You want it to read 180º F., basting every 20 minutes with pan juices for another 1-1/4-hour. Remove turkey from pan and place on platter. Let turkey stand for 20 minutes.

Into a large glass-measuring cup, pour juices. Spoon off all the fat. If necessary, add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 2-1/2 cups. Into a saucepan at moderate-high heat, add butter and melt. Whisk in flour and whisk for 2-minutes or until butter-flour begins to color. Slowly whisk in pan juices. You can use any juices from platter holding turkey. Boil the gravy, for 8-minutes or until it thickens. Season the turkey with the remaining salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve.


courtesy of: Alan Eastep, PO Box 498, Litchfield Park, Arizona 85340-0498

378. SOFT CRAB and BACON SANDWICH

6 strips bacon
1 cup bacon drippings
3 soft-shell crabs
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 slices rye bread
3 lettuce leaves
1 tomato
Dijon mustard

Clean soft-shell crabs by first cutting off the eyes and mouth. Lift each end of the shell and remove the gills with a sharp knife. Turn the crabs over and remove the apron.

Fry the bacon and leave the drippings in the pan. Mix flour, cornmeal and seasonings in a shallow pan. Dredge crabs one at a time in seasoned flour.

Heat bacon grease in the frying pan on medium heat until flour dropped onto the surface bubbles to the top. Fry crabs on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Spread one side of rye bread with Dijon mustard, and stack lettuce, tomato, bacon and crab. Top with other slice of bread.


courtesy of: Lillian Brown, Annapolis, Maryland