Wednesday, June 01, 2005

23. PEPPERY BACON-WRAPPED WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

makes 24 skewers


24 watermelon rind pickles, drained and cut into uniform bite-sized pieces (1 by 1 by 1/4 inch is ideal)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
8 strips bacon, stacked and cut into 3-inch pieces
freshly ground black pepper to taste
24 diagonally cut 1-inch long green onion slices (green parts only)

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the pickles in a bowl with the apple cider vinegar.

TO ASSEMBLE: Lay several pieces of bacon at a time, vertically, on a work surface. Place a pickle on the base of each bacon strip, wrap, and place seam-side down on the prepared pan; the bacon should barely overlap. Repeat the process until all of the pickles have been wrapped. Liberally sprinkle each bacon-wrapped pickle with pepper. Bake until the bacon is partially crisp and brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Place a fresh green onion slice on each morsel, skewer with a toothpick, and serve immediately.

TIP: The pickles can be wrapped with bacon, cooked, and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance. Reheat in a preheated 350˚F oven until warm, 5 to 7 minutes. Skewer and garnish as directed.


courtesy of: Skewer It by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2000, p. 44

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