3420. WARM BIBB and BACON SALAD with MALTY-BEER VINAIGRETTE

serves four


6 bacon slices, chopped into ¼-inch slices
½ large red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon aniseed
½ cup stout beer (or dark beer)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large head of Bibb lettuce, washed and leaves torn

Sauté bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and drain.

Reduce the skillet heat to moderate and leave approximately ⅓ of the bacon drippings in the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

When the onion is ready, add the sugar and aniseed, and cook until the onion is caramelized. Deglaze the pan by adding the beer and balsamic vinegar, and simmer until sauce slightly thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they are softened slightly but still firm, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the Bibb lettuce on a plate, and top with the tomato and vinaigrette mix. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

bacon recipe source: Sur La Table: The Art & Soul of Cooking, PO Box 840, Brownsburg, IN 46112

2997. WARM BEET, BIBB and BACON SALAD

makes 4-6 servings 


4 beets, peeled, cut into thick wedges 
6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped 
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup dark beer 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar 
1 teaspoon aniseed
1 large head of Bibb lettuce, coarsely

Cook beets in boiling salted water until tender, about 12 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, sauté bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 1/2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Mix in next 4 ingredients, then beets. Simmer until dressing coats beets, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange lettuce on platter. Top with beets; sprinkle with bacon.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appétit, October 2007

2241. MOZZARELLA SOUP with ANISE TOAST and BACON OIL

For the bacon oil:
200 g bacon, uncooked
vegetable oil

Cut the bacon in small pieces and put in a pan. Cover the bacon with the vegetable oil and heat to a simmer (don't boil) for about 40 min. Remove the pan from the stove, cover with cling film and let stand at room temperature over night. Reheat the oil the next day for about 40 min again - strain trough a very fine sieve. Remove most of the fat form the bacon and dice the remaining meat, distribute in four soup cups


For the anise toast:
1 toastbread, whole
2 teaspoons anisseed, ground
some pastis
fleur de sel

Remove the crust of the bread and cut lengthwise in to long sticks. Toast the bread on all sides just before serving. Brush with some pastis, sprinkle with aniseed and fleur de sel


For the soup:
1 shallot
1/2 teaspoon butter
5 mozzarella di bufala balls - cut in medium size pieces
8 dl cream (50% fat)
2 dl milk
salt and white pepper

Sweat the shallot in a medium sized pan with the butter, without letting the shallot take color. Add the milk and cream, bring to a boil and reduce the heat until you reached 50C. Add the cheese and slowly(!) let it melt. Season. Strain before serving to remove the unmelted mozzarella. Drizzle some bacon oil on the soup and serve with the anise


bacon recipe courtesy of: Philippe Berthoud, Philippe's Recipes, February 1, 2011

1839. GERMAN FENNEL and BACON SOUP

makes six servings


1 large fennel bulb (about 1½ pounds)
2 ounces double-smoked slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon aniseed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream

Remove, rinse, and dry the feathery fennel tops, chop them moderately fine, and reserve ½ cup of them. Discard any discolored fennel stalks, coarsely chop the remaining stalks, and set aside.

In a large pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp and drain on paper towels. Melt the butter in the bacon fat, add the onion, chopped fennel stalks, potato, fennel seeds, aniseed, bay leaf, and nutmeg and stir about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and steam about 15 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook till the vegetables are very soft, about 1½ hours. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Cool the mixture, then, in batches, purée it in a food processor.

Return the mixture to the pot, add the salt, pepper, and cream, and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the fennel tops and bacon, then ladle the hot soup into soup plates or bowls.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007