2498. ESCAROLE and BACON SALAD with APPLE CIDER-MISO VINAIGRETTE

makes six servings


1 escarole washed
6 large poached eggs
6 thick slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch strips, blanched for 1 minute and drained
1 green apple sliced and tossed with lemon

Apple-cider miso vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon kome miso (red)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider syrup
5 tablespoons grape seed oil
black pepper

Saute bacon until crispy and set aside. For the vinaigrette, combine mustard, miso, cider vinegar, cider syrup and grape seed oil and stir until mixed. Toss the salad with vinaigrette and transfer bacon, poached eggs and apple slices to the plate.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Try Miso!, U.S. Soybean Export Council, St. Louis (World Headquarters), Missouri

2497. LIMPET and SMOKY BACON STRUDEL with WILD GARLIC

serves four


20 limpets
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon cut into lardons
4 shallots
splash of decent dry white wine
½ pint of double cream
handful of wild garlic leaves
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
4 sheets of filo pastry
melted butter

First cook your limpets by boiling them in seawater (or salty fresh water) until the meat leaves the shell. After the meat has cooled, remove the tough 'foot' with a knife and chop very finely. Keep aside the softer part to be added whole.

Fry the bacon until crispy, turn the heat down, add the shallots and cook until soft.

Now add the limpet meat and a splash of wine (you may want a glass for yourself to get you in the mood), when the wine has reduced by half add the cream and reduce further for a minute or so.

Roughly chop the wild garlic and parsley and add to the mix - which by now should smell delicious and look rather appetizing - considering its contents.

Season with a little black pepper - but no salt. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a moment while you prepare your pastry (open the packet).

Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a table 'portrait' style and put an elongated dollop of limpet mixture across it, one third of the way up. Brush melted butter all around the mixture and fold the sides of the pastry over the mix.

Now, starting at the edge nearest you, roll the pastry into a neat strudel shape. Brush liberally with butter and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the other sheets of pastry and bake in an oven preheated to 220°C for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Top and tail the strudel and cut in half at a 45 degree angle and stand up. Garnish with baby leaves and soft herbs, wood sorrel works especially well.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Tom at Am Birlinn, Dervaig Rd Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute PA75 6QS, United Kingdom
01688 400619 | Channel 4

2496. WALDORF SALAD with BACON-WRAPPED SEA SCALLOPS

serves two


6-10 large sea scallops
3-5 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
wooden toothpicks as needed
1/3 cup toasted walnuts (chopped or halves and pieces)
1 teaspoon olive oil for toasting walnuts
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup halved seedless red grapes
1 medium apple, cored and cubed
1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
black pepper to taste
mayonnaise as needed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
cracked black pepper to taste

Lightly toast about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts in a tiny bit of olive oil on the stove top and then, when they are turning a golden brown, add them to a mixing bowl with 1/2 cup sliced celery, 1/2 cup sliced grapes, 1 medium cubed apple add a squeeze of lemon juice and a crack of black pepper and just enough mayonnaise to lightly coat everything.

Next, use another small mixing bowl to combine 3 parts extra virgin olive oil with 1 part lemon juice and a crack of black pepper and whisk it up.

For the scallops, count on half a slice of regular sliced bacon per scallop and wrap that around the circumference of the scallop and run a wooden toothpick through the center of the scallop to secure the loose end of the bacon.

Use a large, heavy bottomed pan to saute the scallops starting on the bacon side slowly turning them to crisp the bacon up all around and finish cooking through on both flat sides.

Cook the scallops on medium heat and they'll take 8-10 minutes total and then remove the toothpicks and serve them around the outside of the Waldorf salad and finish with the vinaigrette.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Dan Eaton, YNN Rochester: Your News Now, 71 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, New York 14620, January 12, 2011

2495. BACON and GREEN CHILE CORNBREAD

yields 8 to 10 servings


2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons butter
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles

Glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a 10-inch cast iron pan on medium-high heat add the bacon and saute until almost crisp then add the onions and season with a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. Saute until the onions are tender, then add the garlic and stir. When the garlic is tender use a slotted spoon to remove the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the cast iron pan and keep it on medium heat while you make the batter.

In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and chiles into the bowl with the bacon mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gently pour in the egg mixture. Fold until all the ingredients are combined. Immediately pour the batter into the cast iron pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Glaze: Melt the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a small pan over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the cornbread is done, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the glaze over the top. Slice and serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sunny Anderson, "Chile Chile Bang Bang," Cooking for Real, Food Network, 2010

2494. CHICKEN, BACON and MUSHROOM PASTY

makes four pasties


FILLING
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
125 grams spring onions
250 grams chicken fillet, preferably thigh
200 grams chestnut mushrooms

1 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

CRUST
4 shortcrust or puff pastry circles
1 beaten egg for glazing

For the filling: chop the bacon and fry until crisp in the oil. Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the spring onions, including all the green. Dice the chicken. Wipe and slice the mushrooms.

Stir the spring onions into the bacon, reduce the heat and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until limp. Increase the heat slightly and add the chicken, tossing around until evenly coloured. Stir in the mushrooms and toss until damp-looking and beginning to wilt and darken. Cool to tepid.

Meanwhile have ready the pastry circles. Mix the mustard into the mayonnaise and stir through the filling mixture. Spoon the filling on to half of each pastry circle, leaving a 2.5cm border. Brush the pastry border with water, then quickly fold over the flap of pastry. Press round the edge to seal. Paint the seal sparingly with water then, working from one end, quickly and neatly turn up the edge in small tucks to give a distinctive ridged pasty finish, tucking the ends. (There’s no set style of crimping; just ensure the scalloped edges go upwards, to avoid juices escaping.)

Paint with beaten egg and prick a few times with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and bake in a preheated oven (200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6) for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lindsey Bareham, Daily Mail Online, January 17, 2009

2493. DOCK PUDDING with BACON and PORK SAUSAGES

900 grams fresh young dock leaves
200 grams nettles
2 large Spanish onions
water
salt and pepper
1 handful of oatmeal
3 rashers unsmoked rindless bacon
2 good pork sausages
1 knob butter
oil
1 egg

Remove the stalks from the dock leaves and the nettles. Chop the onions. Place the dock leaves with a pinch of salt in a sauce pan with boiling water. Add the onions and nettles and boil for 50 minutes. Add the oatmeal and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the contents of the pan thoroughly in a colander. Fry the bacon and sausage together in a pan. Once the bacon and sausages are cooked. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Transfer the dock mixture to the bacon frying pan and fry for 5 minutes in a little butter. In a separate pan, fry the egg in a little oil. Serve the sausages, bacon and dock pudding with a fried egg on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Doris Hirst (two-time winner of World Dock Pudding Competition), Crow Pie: Traditional British Foods and Drinks, c/o Alternative Technology Centre, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 6HJ UK

2492. BACON KEY LIME PIE

makes 8 servings


For the bacon and graham cracker crust:
1 pound applewood-smoked bacon
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from about 10 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice

To serve:
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs from about 2 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Zest of 2 Key limes

Special equipment: 9-inch pie plate, nonstick vegetable-oil spray

Make the bacon and graham cracker crust: Spray a 9-inch pie plate liberally with nonstick vegetable-oil spray.

In a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, cook the bacon, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, reserving the fat in the skillet. Strain the bacon fat through a fine-mesh sieve, measure 4 tablespoons for the filling, and discard the rest.

Finely chop the bacon. Reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon for the garnish and place the rest in a medium bowl. Add the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar and stir to combine. Drizzle with melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Make the filling: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, and the 4 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat. Pour into the unbaked graham cracker and bacon crust and bake until just set in the center, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then freeze for at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: The pie can be baked and stored, covered, in the freezer, up to 3 days.

Garnish and serve: Remove the pie from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for 20 minutes prior to serving.

In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the reserved 3 tablespoons of bacon.

In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently mound the cream on top of the pie then drizzle with the maple syrup and sprinkle with the lime zest and bacon and graham cracker garnish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: David L. Sloan, for Epicurious, February 2012

2491. BACON and CELERY CASSEROLE with MUNG BEANS

serves six


200 grams / 7oz mung beans, soaked for 3-4 hours
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head celery, sliced fairly thickly
2 green peppers, de-seeded and sliced
3 heaped teaspoons mixed herbs
200 grams / 7oz smoked back bacon, cut in large dice
1 liter / 34fl oz gluten and wheat-free vegetable stock
400 grams / 14oz tin (can) butter beans
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large handful of fresh flat (if possible) parsley

Drain and rinse the soaked mung beans. In a flame-proof casserole dish heat the oil and add the celery, green peppers, herbs and bacon. Fry briskly, but do not burn, for 8–10 minutes or until the celery is starting to soften. Add the mung beans and the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20–30 minutes or until the mung beans are soft to the bite. Add the butter beans and season to taste. Roughly chop the parsley and add just before you serve the dish so that it remains virtually uncooked.


bacon recipe courtesy of: FreeForm Recipes Matter, Foods Matter, 5 Lawn Road, London NW3 2XS, UK

2490. BACON-WRAPPED SALMON CAKES with TARTAR SAUCE

3 - 7.5 oz cans of wild-caught Alaskan salmon, drained
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 of a white onion, chopped
1 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons homemade mayo
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1.5 teaspoon dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons dill pickle juice or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 egg white
8 oz bacon
tartar sauce

In a small skillet, saute the onion in butter until soft and translucent. Add pine nuts and stir frequently until pine nuts are starting to turn light brown (be careful as they will burn easily). Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, dump onion mixture into food processor. Add mayo, Parmesan cheese, egg white, dijon, Old Bay seasoning, and all other seasonings to food processor. Pulse until well mixed and chopped. Add canned salmon and give a few pulses (if you pulse too much, the consistency will get very smooth instead of slightly chunky). Stir if necessary to ensure mixture is well-combined. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or preferably several hours (overnight would be fine as well).

Cut bacon in half (so the slices are half as long). Scoop 3 tablespoonos salmon mixture onto each slice of bacon, and wrap tightly. Place into glass baking dish (you will need either two 8X8 square baking dish, or one 9X13 dish). Bake in 325 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes, turning once to allow bacon to crisp on top and bottom. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve with tartar sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sarah Smith, Nourished and Nurtured, February 6, 2011

2489. CHAI BACON CANDY

yields 2-3 servings


7 strips thick sliced hickory smoked bacon
7 tablespoons honey, divided
7 teaspoons finely ground chai spice

Bake the bacon on a broiler pan at 325° F for 25 minutes, flip and bake another 20-30 minutes until just crispy. Drizzle each strip with 1 tablespoon honey and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon chai spice. Bake another 8-12 minutes on top rack of oven until golden brown. Cool completely on a rack or parchment paper to form a chai candy coating.


bacon recipe courtesy of: EATnLISTEN.com, May 8, 2010

2488. HEARTS OF PALM wrapped in CRISP BACON

makes six


6 stalks of hearts of palm
6 strips of bacon
¼ cup of honey of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of butter
cherry tomatoes (for decoration)
basil (for decoration)
black pepper
wood sticks

In a frying pan melt the butter. Add the honey and rest. Take out of the heat and reserve. Wrap the hearts of palm with the bacon (assure with a wood stick). Put the wraps in a metal tray and varnish with honey. Put the pepper and take it to the oven, pre-heat at 350° for 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Take out the wood sticks and serve. Use the cherry tomato and the basil for decoration.


bacon recipe courtesy of: SunPix

2487. NAVY BEAN SOUP with BACON

serves 12


1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight
1 ham bone
6 slices bacon, diced
12 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 pound potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups chopped celery
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Drain beans, place in pot and add 12 cups of stock, bay leaf, tamari and thyme, along with the ham bone. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 – 40 minutes, till beans are tender.

Mix potatoes with 1/2 cup milk and set aside.

Cook bacon, remove and set aside, then saute vegetables, garlic and parsley in three tablespoons of drippings. If there are not enough drippings, add a bit of oil or butter. After they’ve softened, add to beans, and simmer, one hour or so.

Remove about one cup of beans, mash and return to the pot, along with the mashed potato mixture.

Remove bone and any chunks of meat, shred and return meat to the pot.

Cook about 10 more minutes to thicken.

Garnish with the bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Frugal Hausfrau's Blog

2486. NETTLE and BACON RISOTTO

about 2.5 liters of young nettle tops loosely packed, washed
2.5 liters of home made vegetable or chicken stock
50 grams butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50 grams home cured smoked bacon, finely chopped
20 grams dried tomatoes
400 grams risotto rice
125ml dry white wine
salt & pepper

To serve:
50 grams butter, cut into cubes and chilled
100 grams finely grated hard cheese such as parmesan or pecorino
a few nettle leaves for garnish, deep fried until crisp

Blanch the nettle tops in plenty of salted boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will help soften them and preserve their glorious green colour.

Drain and refresh the nettles in cold water. Squeeze out excess water and place in a blender and puree.

Melt the first 50 grams of butter in a sauté pan and gently fry the bacon until the fat renders and it's slightly coloured.

Add the onions and garlic and cook gently until softened but not coloured (about 5 minutes). If you need to, add a little more butter or olive oil.

Add the rice and stir around so that it gets coated with the flavoured butter and heats through.

Add the wine, stir and allow to evaporate completely.

Add the warm stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring the mixture constantly over a medium heat. When the liquid is nearly all incorporated, add the next ladleful.

Do this for about 10 minutes, then bring your heat up and add your nettle puree and tomatoes. Mix in well and turn the heat back to medium. The nettle will make things moister so you may not need to add any more liquid from here. Keep stirring for 5 minutes or so until the rice is soft outside and 'al dente' in the middle. You want the risotto moist (not dry but not soupy) at this stage.

Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to rest for up to 5 minutes.

Add your chilled butter cubes and hard cheese and beat it into the risotto. Check taste and season appropriately.

Serve garnished with the deep fried nettle leaves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Carl Legge, Permaculture, The Sustainability Centre, Droxford Road, East Meon, Hampshire GU32 1HR, March 17, 2011

2485. BROWN BUTTER BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, diced into 1/4″ pieces
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons milk chocolate, grated
1 cup bacon that’s been fried until crispy and diced into roughly 1/4″ pieces

Put your oven rack in the middle and heat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Set this aside.

Fry up a few pieces of bacon. You want the bacon to be as crisp as possible without being burnt. Cut the bacon into roughly (and this is very roughly) 1/4″ pieces.

Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until melted. Continue cooking until it turns a dark, golden brown and smells divine. Swirl this pan constantly and stir the bottom frequently for good measure. As soon as it’s done, take off the heat and pour immediately into a heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter so that they melt.

Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoon vanilla.

Add egg and egg yolk and mix until mixture is fully incorporated.

Let sugar/egg/butter mixture stand for a few minutes. Whisk again for 30 seconds. Do this several times–you want to make sure that the sugar has “melted” into the liquid. When ready, mixture will be smooth, thick and shiny.

Chop chocolate. Grate your milk chocolate

Using wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in grated chocolate, chocolate chunks and bacon pieces. Don’t over mix but make sure no flour pockets remain.

Using a teaspoon, place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I get about 14 cookies per baking sheet.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, until cookies are golden-brown and set along the edges but the middle is still soft. Remove from oven and set baking sheet on a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes, keeping the cookies on the baking sheet.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kristina, Mouth from the South, August 3, 2009 | adapted from Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen

2484. CREAMY CORN SOUP with BACON, BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER and CHIVE OIL

serves six


8 ears corn
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 tablespoons ubsalted butter
1 medium onion, preferably sweet such as maui, vidalia or walla walla, diced
1 large shallot, diced
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs sage
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to tatse
1 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 butter poached lobster tails, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons chive oil

Cut all the kernels from the cobs. Discard all but 2 of the cobs. Cut the remaining cobs in half crosswise.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon slices in a single layer and cook until they have rendered their fat, but not yet browned. Add the butter, onions and shallots to the pot, increasing the temperature to medium-high. Sweat the onions and shallots with the bacon, stirring occasionally until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Using kitchen twine tie the thyme, parsley and sage sprigs together in a bundle adding them to the pot. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and the corn cob pieces. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook the mixture until the potatoes soften, about 20 minutes.

Add the cream and the corn kernels, stirring to combine. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and discard the bacon, herb bundle and corncobs. Then, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until completely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pass the soup through a fine meshed sieve into a sauce pan. It should be velvety, but not too thick. Adjust with a little water or more chicken stock if needed. Gently reheat the soup.

To serve: Divide the soup evenly between 6 soup bowls. Mound some of the butter poached lobster on top and drizzle each one with about 1 tablespoon chive oil. Serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Greg Henry, Sippity Sup, June 22, 2010

2483. PURSLANE SALAD with HOT BACON VINAIGRETTE and GARLIC CROUTONS

serves 4 to


5 strips applewood smoked bacon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup cubed ciabatta-style bread (1/2-inch cubes)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 medium shallots, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound purslane, tips and larger leaves only (5 to 6 cups loosely packed), cleaned

Position rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the bacon in a cold sauté pan over medium heat. Slowly cook the bacon until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove the bacon with tongs or a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Take 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat and put it in a small bowl. Leave the remaining bacon fat in the pan to finish the salad. (There should be about 2 tablespoons.) Slice the bacon strips into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of the oil into the bacon fat in the bowl. Add the bread cubes, tossing to coat evenly with the oil and bacon fat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pinch of pepper. Spread the bread in a single layer on another baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the bacon fat in the sauté pan and place over medium heat. When the fat mixture is hot but not smoking, add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard, sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When the mixture is hot and bubbling, add the purslane. Stir quickly to coat the greens evenly with the dressing and just warm them. This should take no more than 30 seconds, or the purslane will start to lose its fresh, tender crunch. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with some of the bacon and croutons. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Wild Table: Seasonal Foraged Food and Recipes by Connie Green and Sarah Scott, 2010 | CUESA: Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, One Ferry Building, Suite 50, San Francisco, California 94111

2482. GEMELLI with BROCCOLI RABE, BACON and CHICKPEAS

yields four servings


1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces uncooked gemelli pasta
6 slices center-cut bacon
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add broccoli rabe to pan; cook 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well. Coarsely chop. Return water to a boil. Add pasta to pan; cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl; reserve 3/4 cup pasta water. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add garlic and chickpeas to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until garlic is golden. Stir in broccoli rabe, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is heated. Stir in pasta, 3/4 cup pasta water, and bacon; toss well.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Marge Perry, Cooking Light, September 2010

2481. SALAD of MACKEREL, BACON and POTATOES

serves 4 as a light main course


For the salad:
1 small and sweet onion
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
500 grams small salad potatoes
mixed leaves frisée, watercress, rocket

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 heaped teaspoon capers
4 bushy sprigs dill

For the fish:
6 thin rashers smoked streaky bacon
4 fresh fillets mackerel
plain flour a little for coating
groundnut oil a little

Peel and finely slice the onion into rings. Put them into a small bowl with the white-wine vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes or more, tossing occasionally. This removes any harshness and will slightly soften the onion's flesh.

Boil the potatoes in deep, generously salted water for 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain, and when they are ready, slice each thickly and add them to the dressing below.

While the potatoes are boiling make the dressing by putting a generous pinch of salt in a bowl, adding the cider vinegar and stirring to dissolve. Mix in the mustard, oil and then add the capers, rinsed briefly. Chop the dill leaves and stalks finely then add to the dressing and set aside. Add the drained and sliced potatoes as soon as they're ready.

Drain the onion rings, discard the vinegar, add the onions to the potatoes and stir gently. Set aside.

Warm a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the bacon rashers and fry until crisp, rest them briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then snip into pieces the size of a postage stamp. Turn the heat off under the pan, but leave any bacon fat in the pan for cooking the fish.

Put a thin layer of flour on a plate and season with salt and finely ground black pepper. Lay the fillets in the flour, pat firmly then turn and coat the other side.

Warm the bacon fat, lower the fillets into the pan skin side down and leave to brown lightly. When the skin is just starting to crisp, slide a palette knife under the fish and turn it over. Lightly brown the other side, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Gently break or cut each fish fillet into four or five rough pieces.

Divide the salad leaves between four plates or shallow dishes. Pile the potatoes and onion rings on top leaving any dressing behind in the bowl. Add the pieces of warm fish and scatter over the bacon. Spoon over any remaining dressing from the potato bowl and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nigel Slater, The Observer, March 19, 2011

2480. GARLIC-RUBBED GRILLED CHEESE with BACON and TOMATOES

makes 4 sandwiches


8 slices bacon
3 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) grated Gruyère
3 oz (about 1 cup) grated fontina
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
8 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 large cloves garlic, halved and peeled for rubbing

Cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed skillet until browned and crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off the grease from the pan and wipe clean.

Combine the cheeses and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Lay 4 slices of the bread on your work surface, and distribute half of the cheese evenly among the bread. Top the cheese with 2 slices of bacon and then 2 or 3 slices of tomatoes (enough to cover the cheese and bacon). Evenly distribute the remaining cheese among the 4 sandwiches. Lightly butter one side of the remaining four slices of bread, and put them on top of the sandwiches, butter side up.

Heat your heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches butter side down in the pan and cook on the first side until the bread is golden brown and toasted. Meanwhile, butter the top slice of bread on each sandwich. Flip the sandwiches using a spatula and continue to cook on the other side until the bread is golden brown. You can use the spatula to compress the sandwich as it cooks on the second side. Remove the sandwiches from the pan and immediately rub both sides with the cut side of a garlic clove. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tracey's Culinary Adventures, August 19, 2011

2479. WILTED SPINACH SALAD with TUNA and BACON

6 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh spinach (or 1 pound baby spinach), coarse stems discarded, leaves roughly torn and washed well
2 cans of olive oil-packed tuna fish

In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat. Place skillet back on the burner and cook the shallot for about 1 minute. Whisk in the vinegar and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Put spinach in a large bowl and toss with the warm dressing, bacon, and tuna until the spinach is just wilted.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Crankin' Kitchen, May 15, 2011