3803. ZUCCHINI BACON FRITTERS with BASIL-MAYO DIPPING SAUCE

Makes about 40 fritters

For basil mayo:

1 cup basil

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For fritters:

About 6 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 fresh jalapeño, stemmed and minced (including seeds)

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup whole milk

6 slices crisp-cooked bacon, finely chopped

Equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Make basil mayo: Purée basil with mayonnaise, water, and lemon juice in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Make fritters: Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 3 inches oil to 350°F in a deep 5-quart pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir together zucchini, jalapeño, chives, and a pinch of salt in another bowl. Add egg, milk, and bacon to zucchini mixture and toss to coat zucchini. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Fry small spoonfuls of batter in batches of about 10, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 350°F between batches.

Serve fritters with basil mayo.

bacon recipe source: Andrea Albin, Gourmet, July 2010

1522. SKIRT STEAK BLT with BASIL MAYONNAISE

2 pounds skirts steak
1 loaf of country style bread, thick cut slices toasted on a sheet tray
1 head Bibb lettuce, separated leaves
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, thick-cut slices
8 strips of bacon, fried until crispy
2 cloves of garlic
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Begin by making the basil mayonnaise so the flavors have time to come together. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the sandwich.

Heat a cast iron griddle pan/skillet or outdoor grill until smoking hot. Season the skirt steak with plenty of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil then grill both sides for 3 to 4 minutes until medium rare. Set aside loosely tented with aluminum foil while you prepare the other fillings.

To assemble, take one slice of the toasted bread and rub a garlic clove all over 1 side. Put a big slather of basil mayonnaise across the bread. Layer the lettuce over the top and then the thick-cut slices of tomato. Top with the crispy bacon slices and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Take the skirt steak and using a sharp knife cut across the grain into thick slices. Lay the pieces of the sliced skirt steak on the top of the open sandwich and serve with more basil mayonnaise on the side.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tyler Florence, AOL Food

969. BLT SALAD with BASIL MAYO DRESSING

yields 4 servings


1/2 pound bacon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 slices French bread, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved bacon drippings, mayonnaise, vinegar and basil and let dressing stand, covered, at room temperature. In a large skillet over medium heat, toss the bread pieces with the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil, continue tossing and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown. In a large bowl mix together the romaine, tomatoes, bacon and croutons. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.


courtesy of: ANA Conserve Agro Industry Company, No. 201, Khomeini Avenue, Tabriz, Iran

104. BLT with BASIL MAYO on TOASTED COUNTRY BREAD

serves four


8 thick slices (8 oz.) smoked bacon
8 1/2-inch-thick slice country French bread (cut on the diagonal from a crusty loaf about 4 inches in diameter)
Basil Mayonnaise (see note)
3-4 medium, ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small bunch of arugula, stemmed
toothpicks

Fry bacon in a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat until crisp and golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Toast bread slices until golden. Brush 1 side of each slice with Basil Mayonnaise.

To assemble sandwiches, arrange a layer of tomatoe slices slightly overlapping on a bread slice. Top with 2 bacon slices, then with several arugula leaves. Cover with another bread slice. Cut the sandwich in half on the diagonal with a serrated knife. Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches. Skewere each half with a toothpick to secure, and arrange the sandwich halves on a serving plate. Serve immediately.

BASIL MAYONNAISE:
1/2 cup regular or reduced fat (not nonfat) mayonnaise
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 1 minute or less, until the basil and garlic are minced and blended into the mayonnaise. (The mayonnaise can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)


courtesy of: The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004. (85 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105). p. 120.