580. PILCHARD and BACON PIE

a.k.a. Stargazy Pie

serves 8


One 8" (200mm) shallow pie dish
6 to 8 pilchard
2 eggs
3 rashers bacon
1 lemon.
1 medium sized onion
sea salt and pepper to season
parsley and tarragon

Gut, clean and bone the fish, leaving on the heads and tails. (You may find the flesh is so fresh you can pull the backbone free without a knife) Take the onion. Finely chop. Chop into squares the bacon. Cut the lemon in half; set two slices from to one side for decoration. Squeeze and save the juice. Finely grind the rind. Boil until soft, not hard two free-range eggs. Cut into small dices.

Mousehole Either mix and roll enough ingredients to make approx. 500g of shortcrust or flaky pasty. If you dont have the patience buy some ready prepared frozen pasty from the your local supermarket. Cut the thawed pasty mixture into two halves. Roll one half down to thickness sufficient to cover the base of your pie dish. Cut off the overlapped edges. Coat the edge with either milk or water to ensure the pasty lid will stick.

Either then: Carefully your pilchards, into the bottom of the dish arranging them, like the spokes of a wheel, around the edge of your dish. Place the mixed chopped onion, eggs and bacon in the gaps between the fish. Some recipes suggest stuffing the with half the finely chopped mixture, but given the small gut of the pilchard is it worth trying to do so? Add the lemon juice and cover with your pasty lid pressing down around the fish to seal the pie, trim the edges of overlapping pasty and crimping the edges in true Cornish style.

Or (and we find this more authentic) place all your chopped ingredients, including seasoning into the dish. Cover with pasty lid, trim the edges of overlapping pasty, crimp as above, then carefully cut slits into the pasty, hold open with blade of a knife, and gently push the whole fish into the slots, leaving just the heads or tails showing. Add the lemon juice and then seal the slits. Coat the now completed pie with a beaten egg.

Cooking your Pie: Place in the middle of a pre-hearted oven gas mark 6, 200 c for around 30 minutes, until golden brown. For larger pies more time might be needed before it is cooked.

Serve piping hot with sprig of parsley garnish and Cornish new potatoes.


courtesy of: Cornwall by Cornishlight, The Cornwall Tourist Board's Holiday Information Call Centre: + 44 (0) 1872 322900

579. BACON CHIVE RICE

yields 6 servings


3 slices bacon, diced
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook bacon until crisp. Add rice, chives, and seasonings. Blend well and heat thoroughly.


courtesy of: 101 Recipes

578. BARBECUE BACON-WRAPPED PIKE (or WALLEYE) SKEWERS

4-5 lbs Northern Pike (or walleye) fillets -- cut into 1" cubes
1 lb bacon strips, cut in half
Italian style dressing
barbecue sauce
bamboo skewers

Marinate cubed fish in Italian style dressing for 1 hour. Wrap bacon strips around marinated fish cubes. Spear into skewers so bacon doesn't unravel. Repeat until skewers are full. Cook over medium heat on barbecue; turn continually. Brush on your favourite BBQ sauce when the bacon begins to get crisp. Continue turning periodically until fish is white and bacon is crisp.


courtesy of: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, 1199 Plessis Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3L4

577. CORNBREAD, BACON and SAGE STUFFING

1 9” x 9” cornbread
1 16-ounce loaf sourdough bread
2 cups diced bacon
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 tablespoons fresh sage chiffonade
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut the cornbread and the sourdough bread into ½ inch cubes. Spread onto baking trays and bake for 15 minutes or until the bread has dried out. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions soften and start to turn translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the sage, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Add the contents of the pan to the mixing bowl and gently mix with the bread cubes. Add the stock and the half-and-half, continue mixing until the dressing is moist and well blended. I usually use my hands for this but a large wooden spoon is good too.

Put the mixture into a 13” x 9” x 2” greased baking pan. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the top is crispy.

Substitutions: If you want to add more turkey flavor, use turkey stock instead of chicken and/or spoon some turkey pan drippings onto the dressing.

Use 1 teaspoon dried sage instead of fresh sage if you can’t get fresh.

If you can’t get sourdough bread, then nice peasant bread would work too.

Notes: This is dressing, not stuffing, and should not be cooked inside the bird.

I use a cornbread mix to make the cornbread, but if you want to save time, buy one from a store.

Prepping the bread can be done the day before and the bread kept, loosely covered, overnight. Use day-old bread for faster drying.


courtesy of: Fiat Lux

576. SPECIAL CASSOULET with DUCK, HOT SAUSAGES and BACON

serves 8 to 10


2 lb. (5 1/2 cups) dry white beans (Great Northern)
rind from 1/2 lb. salt pork
1 onion, peeled and stuck with 2 cloves
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
bouquet garni of 1 sprig thyme, 2 bay leaves, parsley stalks and 3 large cloves garlic
1 2 1/2-pound chunk of slab bacon
2 ducks, about 4 1/2 lbs. each
1 1/2 lb. hot Italian or Spanish sausage
1 cup sliced onion
6 cups chicken stock
5 tablespoons tomato paste
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fill a large pot with tepid water, add the beans, set over low heat and bring slowly to a boil. Remove from the head and let the beans soak for about 1 1/2 hours.

Put the pork rind into a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water and cut into pieces about 1 inch square. Wrap in cheesecloth, tie into a bundle and set aside.

When the beans have finished soaking, add the pork rind, the onion stuck with cloves, the carrots and the bouquet garni. Add more water if necessary to cover the beans, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender but still slightly firm. Remove the scum that will rise to the surface.

Cut 1 1/2 pounds of the bacon into lardons 1 inch by 1/2 inch, cover them with cold water in a pan and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Cut the ducks into serving pieces with poultry shears or a heavy sharp knife. Cut the sausage into 1-inch slices.

Cut the remaining bacon into small pieces and place it with 1 tablespoon of water into a heavy, 6- to 8-quart pot. Set over low heat to render about 4 tablespoons of fat. Discard the bacon and leave the fat in the pot.

Thoroughly dry the duck pieces and add them to the pot with the sausage and prepared lardons, and brown the duck evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. (If the pot isn't big enough, use a second pot or heavy skillet.) Add the sliced onions. When everything is browned, cover with stock, stir in the tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the garlic. Sprinkle with pepper, lower the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes, or until the duck is tender. If the duck is cooked before the beans, turn off the flame and let it wait, covered.

When the beans are tender, discard the pork rind and the bouquet garni, and add the beans and their cooking juice to the duck. Simmer together until the flavor is nicely blended. With a spoon or bulb baster, remove any fat that has risen to the surface. Remove the beans to a warm serving platter with a slotted spoon, and arrange the meat on top of them. Reduce the cooking liquid to 2 cups and strain. Taste and correct the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and beans, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

NOTE: The ducks are best cooked a day in advance, so that the fat can be more easily removed, then reheated.


courtesy of: Simone Beck / Christine Muhlke, "An Old Flame," T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Holiday 2006, p. 132

575. OKONOMIYAKI with BACON

Batter:
1 cup of all-purpose flour (Not bread flour! The okonomiyaki won't cook right.)
3/4 cup of dashi soup stock if you have it or water if you don't
1 egg (or more - use 2 tbsp less water/dashi stock for each egg you add)
about 4 cabbage leaves
1 tsp baking powder

Toppings/fillings:
cooked bacon, small/thinly sliced beef, pork, fish, chicken, crab, or any other kind of meat; browned ground beef; cocktail shrimp; salad mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, minced pickled ginger, nori, sakura-ebi (dried shrimp), bonito flakes, nori, tenkasu, furikake, konbu, daikon, chopped-up cashews, and whatever else you want to put in there.

First up, the batter. Cut the cabbage leaves into coleslaw-like strips. (If you use the white "ribs," cut them very thin so they'll soften when cooked.) Beat the egg in a bowl, then add the dashi or water. Mix. Add the flour. Mix well. Add in the baking powder. Then mix in the cabbage, a bit at a time until all of it is in there and covered with batter. By this time the batter will be like glue to hold the cabbage together.

At this point you can add in some toppings. I put in the larger stuff like shrimp, sliced shiitake or regular mushrooms, chunks of cooked bacon, and ground beef. Mix some more. Then dump some of the mess into a frying pan at medium high heat, about the same heat you'd use for pancakes. (This recipe makes 2 or 3 individual-sized "cakes." I'm a small person, so 1/3 makes a nice meal for me.) Before the batter starts to set you can drizzle more toppings, like torn-up nori, bonito flakes, dried shrimp, and shredded ginger, onto the top. Let the thing fry covered for 5 minutes, then turn it over (the bottom should be brown in the darkest spots) and cook it for 5 minutes on the other side. Voila, it's done. Serve with mayonnaise and/or okonomiyaki sauce.

A few favorite topping combinations:

* Bacon with mushrooms. Cook a pair of strips of bacon per cake, cut them into small chips, then mix those and thinly sliced mushrooms into the batter.

* Browned ground beef with sauteed mushrooms. Cook both together, drain well, then mix the stuff in with the batter.

* Cocktail shrimp and well-sliced-up shiitake mushrooms dumped into the batter before cooking, then nori and bonito flakes sprinkled onto the top.


courtesy of: My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch

574. BROCHETTE OF BACON-WRAPPED SWORDFISH

makes 4 servings


1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup dry bread crumbs
8 large white mushrooms
Juice of ½ lemon
2 bell peppers (capiscums), 1 red and 1 yellow or 2 red
1¾ pounds swordfish, 1½ inches thick
6 strips bacon
8 large cloves roasted garlic
1 sweet onion, preferably Vidalia
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

First place 8 long bamboo skewers in cold water to soak. Finely chop the garlic with the herbs, season with black pepper, mix with the bread crumbs, and side aside. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Place the mushroom caps in a small saucepan with the lemon juice and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then drain immediately. Set aside. Core and seed the peppers and cut them into 2-inch (5-cm) squares. You should have 16 squares of pepper. Trim any skin from the swordfish and cut the fish into 12 uniform medallions, about 1½ x 2 inches (4 x 5 cm). Wrap each in ½ strip of the bacon. Peel the roasted garlic cloves. Peel the onion, quarter it and separate it into layers. Preheat a grill or broiler. Thread the ingredients, just slightly off center, on each of 4 skewers, starting with a mushroom cap, then a roasted garlic clove, then a chunk of bacon-wrapped swordfish, taking care to put the skewer through the bacon as well as the fish. Follow with a square of red pepper, a piece of onion, and another square of pepper, a chunk of swordfish. Continue with pepper, onion, pepper, swordfish, garlic, and mushroom. Insert a second skewer about ½ inch (1.3 cm) from the first in each brochette. Repeat with the remaining skewers. Lightly season the skewers with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil, and roll in the bread crumb mixture to coat lightly. Grill or broil the skewers 6 to 8 minutes, turning them as they brown.


courtesy of: Life in Italy.com, 5909 Bethlehem Court, Rockville, Maryland 20855 / (301) 738 6827

573. RICE and BACON-STUFFED MACKEREL for cats

a.k.a. Mackerel Magic

serves two


2 slices of unsmoked bacon, broiled
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tsp soy sauce, Worcestershire or fish sause
1 fresh mackerel, headed, tailed, cleaned and scaled

Chop the bacon up small and mix with the rice, adding the sauce in dashes as you go. Broil the mackerel on both sides until crispy brown. Allow to cool, then split it along the somach and gently open it out. Bone, working from the head to tail. Fill with the rice and bacon mixture, close over the sides of the mackerel and serve.


courtesy of: Lisa Violet's Cathouse

572. SPAGHETTI AGLIO OLIO

a.k.a. Garlic & Oil


5-6 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
7-8 shiitake mushrooms, cut into slivers
2-3 small chillis , chopped into small bits
1 packet of bacon, chopped into small chunks
Handful of cherry tomatos, cut into thin slices
Spaghetti enough for three
2-3 stalks of coriander, chopped into small bits
Olive oil

Cook the spaghetti. Heat a pan up, add the bacon in and fry it in its own fats (I use less fatty bacon so had to add some olive oil in). Remove the bacon when slightly browned and strain on a piece of kitchen towel. Drain out excess bacon fats and add some olive oil in the pan. Fry the garlic till fragrant and add the mushroom. Fry till slightly crisp. Add the chilli and spaghetti and mix well. Add more oil if it's too dry - spaghetti should be lightly coated with oil. Toast in the tomatos and coriander last and mix well. Serve with grilled turkey and salad


courtesy of: Little Gingko Nut, Ling, Hong Kong

571. HASENPFEFFER

or, German rabbit stew

makes 4 servings


1 rabbit, cut into pieces
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 spice clove
2 tablespoon bacon, diced
2 small carrots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream

Heat vegetable oil in sauce pan. When hot, add leaf, garlic clove, spice clove, bacon, carrots and mushrooms. Add rabbit and simmer until browned. Pour solution of 1/2 cup vinegar, mixed with 1 to 1-1/2 cups water over meat. Cover pan and simmer until tender. Before removing pan from heat, add sour cream stirring to blend. Serve hot with dumplings or large noodles.


courtesy of: Beagles Unlimited

570. CHEESY HAM and BACON CHOWDER

Makes 10 servings, ready in one hour or less


10 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup diced carrots
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 chicken bouillon cube
Pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

In a large pot fry the bacon until crispy. Remove and lay on paper towels. In the bacon drippings, sauté the onion and carrots until tender. Stir in flour and gradually add the milk and water. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the potatoes, corn, bouillon and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese and ham, cook until cheese is melted. Turn heat off and stir in bacon.


courtesy of: Vanieca Akins, Tallapoosa River, Alabama / Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, 509 N. State Highway 167, P.O. Box 158, Hartford, Alabama 36344, (334) 588-2223

569. PORTUGUESE BACON PUDDING with CARAMEL and FIGS

a.k.a. Pudim Do Abade de Priscos

servings: 6-8


For the pudding
390 caster sugar
300ml water
1x7.5 cm piece lemon rind
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
80g smoked bacon, rind removed and finely diced
12 egg yolks, well beaten
2 tbsp port

For the baked figs
1 fig, per portion
50ml Honey
100ml orange juice
50ml Brandy
1 tsp grated orange zest
500g toasted flaked almonds

For the bacon toffee
210g caster sugar
125ml water
40g bacon, finely shredded and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute


Heat the sugar with the water, lemon rind, bay leaf, cinnamon and finely diced bacon.

Bring to the boil and cook steadily to 220-225F on a sugar thermometer, or when a little of the mixture separates into threads when dropped into cold water. Remove from the heat, and strain through a sieve and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 240C/gas 9.

Add the egg yolks and port to the syrup and stir well. Then pour the pudding mixture into a large pudding basin or individual basins or dariole moulds.

Place the basin(s) in a bain-marie (or roasting tin filled with hot water to come half way up the basins) and cook in the oven for about 1 hour, if using a large pudding basin or about 35 minutes if using individual moulds. The pudding should be set and slightly golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool until lukewarm.

To bake the figs: trim the tops and bases of the figs and prick all over with a toothpick. Stand the figs upright in an ovenproof dish. Mix together the honey, orange juice, brandy and orange zest and pour over the figs.

Cover and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes basting from time to time.

For the bacon toffee: mix the sugar with the water in a small pan and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer until amber in colour. Add the blanched bacon.

Using a fork or spoon, drizzle the bacon toffee into patterns on non-stick parchment and leave to cool and set.

Turn out the lukewarm pudding(s) and place a fig on top of each pudding. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and drizzle with a little of the pan liquor. Top with the crispy bacon caramel and serve.


courtesy of: Alan Coxon, Great Food Live

568. RHODE ISLAND CLEAR CLAM CHOWDER

Makes 12 cups; serves 12 as a first course or 6 to 8 as a main course

NOTE: For equipment, you will need an 8-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid (for steaming open the clams), a fine-mesh strainer, a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot (for the chowder), a wooden spoon, a small pot (to warm the milk), and a ladle.


8 pounds small quahogs or large cherrystone clams
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEl, or other all-purpose potatoes peeled and cut
4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon (rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice into 1/2-inch dice)
2 cups Clam Broth
bottled clam juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Traditional Fish Stock
2 medium onions (12 to 14 ounces) cut into 1/2-inch dice
Chicken Stock or water (as a last resort)
3 stalks celery (6 ounces) cut into 1/3-inch dice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
Kosher or sea salt if needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (1 tablespoon) parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil (optional)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 to 3 cups whole milk

Scrub the clams and rinse clean. Steam them open. Strain the broth; you should have 4 cups of broth (and 1 pound of clams). Cover the clams with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. After they have cooled a bit, dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Cover again and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

Add the butter, onions, celery, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.

Add the potatoes, the reserved clam broth, and the additional 2 cups broth, and continue to cook over medium heat until the chowder begins to simmer; if it begins to boil, turn down the heat slightly so that it maintains a steady simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes longer, until the potatoes are very tender.

Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the diced clams, and season to taste with black pep- per and the lemon juice. (It is unlikely that you will need to add any salt; the clams usually provide enough.) If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; do not let it boil. Stir in the parsley, chives, and chervil. At the same time, heat the milk over low heat; do not let it boil.

Ladle the chowder into cups or bowls making sure that the clams, potatoes, onions, and bacon are evenly divided; do not fill the cups or bowls more than three-quarters full. As is customary in Rhode Island, serve the hot milk in a small pitcher so each person can add as much as he or she likes to their chowder, if any.


courtesy of: 50 Chowders, one-pot meals -- clam, corn and beyond, by Jasper White. Scribner, 2000 / Bill the Oyster Man

567. TAYLOR HAM, BACON, TOMATO, LETTUCE and CHEESE SANDWICH

a.k.a. the BLTTC


Taylor ham
bacon
lettuce
Provolone cheese
mayonnaise
honey mustard
salt and pepper

Grill the Taylor ham and the bacon. Add cheese to the Taylor Ham. Add the mayo, honey mustard, and tomato to a toasted sub roll. Add the meat and cheese to the roll. Top it off with lettuce, salt and pepper to taste.


courtesy of: Rich Myrlak, Rutherford, New Jersey / Jersey Pork Roll, 177 Stelton Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855, 1-866-4NJ-PORK

566. BACON, RICOTTA and POTATO BALLS

yield 10 balls


5 slices of bacon, cooked, cut in the middle
1 yukon gold potato, small, cooked and mashed
ricotta, equal portion as the potato
dry thyme
small sage leaves

Mix ricotta, potato and thyme. Taste and season if necessary. Shape into small ball (about the size of a gum ball). Wrap the ball with a piece of bacon. Garnish with a sage leaf, use a toothpick to hold the position.


courtesy of: Gattina, New Jersey

565. BACON BAGEL BREAKFAST

Serves 4


4 sliced bagels
butter
8 slices bacon
4 hard boiled eggs, shelled and coarsely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Tabasco Sauce

Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Preheat the broiler. Lightly butter the bagels and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium flame, heat the tomatoes and green onions. Cover and cook 4 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their juices and are partially liquid. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream, then add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and forms a sauce. Add a dash of Tabasco Sauce, to taste. While the tomatoes are cooking, toast the bagels in the broiler until golden brown. For each serving, place two halves of a bagel on a plate. Top each half with a bacon slice. Sprinkle chopped egg on top. Finish by pouring some of the tomato-cheese sauce over each half. Serve immediately, passing extra Tabasco on the side.


courtesy of: Katherine Heyhoe / The Global Gourmet

564. BACON BASIL PASTA TOSS

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onion
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
8 slices bacon cooked and chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
3 large seeded and diced tomatoes
1/2 lb pasta
1 cup chopped chicken
salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and green onion and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and basil and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in drained pasta to coat. Stir in chicken and bacon. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, and garnish with additional fresh chopped basil or parsley.


courtesy of: Decio Pasta, 5028 S. Ash Avenue Ste 105, Tempe, Arizona 85282

563. MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY with SAGE, SMOKED BACON, and CORNBREAD STUFFING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 6 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken stock
1 (12 to 14 pound) fresh turkey
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup hot water
8 strips smoked bacon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack.

Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper.

In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the sage butter, add the onions, cook and stir for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from heat. Put the cornbread in a large mixing bowl and scrape the sauteed onion mixture on top. Add the egg, heavy cream, and just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing without making it soggy (about 1/2 cup.) Toss well to combine, season with salt and pepper.

Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Fill the bird with the cornbread stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.

Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing.


courtesy of: Tyler Florence, "Tyler Talks Turkey," Food 911

562. "LARK" VEGAS BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

4 (single) chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded flat
4-6 oz. pepper jack cheese, grated
salt and pepper
8 slices, thick-sliced bacon
1 lime
toothpicks
cumin
chili pepper
olive oil
green hot sauce

Butterfly and pound out chicken breasts; you will have 8 pieces. Season each with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each with a little cumin, chili powder, and a dash or two of green hot sauce. Place a good helping of the cheese on each piece of chicken. Roll up, wrap with bacon and place toothpicks through each breast to keep rolled up.

Pre-heat your barbecue and place a cast iron, "ridged" grill atop. This will ensure the bacon doesn't get charred before the chicken is cooked through. Squeeze lime juice on each breast. Drizzle each breast with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or until done. Remember to remove toothpicks before serving.


courtesy of: Lark Bradley, Missoula, Montana

561. PEANUT BUTTER and BACON SPAGHETTI

Serves 4

8 oz. Spaghetti or Thin Spaghetti, uncooked
1 10-oz. package frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is done, add the peas. Combine chicken broth, milk, peanut butter, soy sauce and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Drain pasta and peas. Combine pasta and sauce and toss well. Sprinkle with bacon and add salt and pepper to taste.


courtesy of: The National Pasta Association, 1156 Fifteenth Street N.W., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 637-5888