3974. BACON and GRATED DAIKON

1 serving


1 slice bacon

about 3 cm daikon radish

a small amount green onion

a small amount tempura crumbs (optional)

a small amount umami seasoning

soy sauce, to taste

Cut the bacon into 2 cm pieces. Top with grated daikon radish, green onion and tempura crumbs, and it's done. Drizzle with soy sauce.

bacon recipe source: yakopuyo (member), Washoku.Guide (@washokuguide)

3920. BROWN RICE BOWL with EGG, AVOCADO and BACON

serves 4


5 pieces bacon, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 oz. curly spinach, stemmed (8 packed cups)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
4 cups cooked brown rice, warm
1 avocado, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
4 large fried eggs

Cook the bacon and scallions in a large skillet over medium until the bacon is crispy, 5 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Divide the brown rice, spinach mixture, avocado, and radishes in the bowls. Top with the eggs and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the sesame dressing and serve warm, with more dressing on the side.


bacon recipe source: Kay Chun, Real Simple (@RealSimple), March 2016

3853. BRAISED RADISHES with SHALLOTS and BACON

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish


1 tablespoon butter

2 slices bacon, diced

2 large shallots, finely sliced

1 pound radishes, about 2 bunches, tops trimmed and radishes sliced in half

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water 

2/3 cup finely chopped
Italian parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter and bacon over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet — preferably cast iron. Cook for about 5 minutes. When the bacon is cooked through and getting crispy, place the radishes cut-side down in the pan and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar and the water — the water should just come up around the sides of the radishes. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the radishes are tender.

Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced into a syrupy sauce. Add the the parsley and stir to wilt.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.


bacon recipe source: The Kitchn (@thekitchn), April 2008

3850. HOT & SWEET BACON BANH MI

serves four


16 green onions or scallions, greens only, sliced thin in long strips
1 pound slices of thick cut bacon
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flake
1 teaspoon dry ground ginger
1/2 small head cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
6 small red radishes, sliced thin
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 french baguettes, about 10 inches in length

Scallions: Slice the scallions into thin strips, greens only and place in ice water - this will make them curly after an hour.

Bacon: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. Line the bottom side of 2 smaller baking sheets with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl combine the 1c brown sugar, red pepper flakes and ground ginger. Take each slice of bacon into the bowl and cover it with the mixture patting it on to get as much as possible to adhere to the bacon. Place each slice of bacon onto the larger lined baking sheets. Place the other two baking sheets on top of the bacon. Cook at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the bacon strips on cooling racks.

Cole slaw: While the bacon is cooking prepare the coleslaw. In a large bowl combine the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Now add the shredded cabbage, sliced radishes and cilantro.

Sauce: In a blender combine the peanut butter, boiling water, grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce and 3T brown sugar until smooth. Pour this mixture into a squirt bottle for convenience or you can spoon it on later.

Building the banh mi: Slice the 4 baguettes horizontally without separating them. Place the scallions in a strainer to drain the water. Fill each baguette with 1/4 of the bacon slices, give that a good squirt of the sauce, about 4 tablespoons. Now, lay on 1 cup of coleslaw and top that with 1/4 of the scallion curls.


bacon recipe source: cookmore.com (Kenmore.com)

3580. BACON-WRAPPED MONKFISH with PEAS, RADISHES and SALSA VERDE

makes four servings


2 lbs cleaned monkfish tail
2 sheets thinly sliced bacon
2 cups English peas, blanched
1 cups spring radishes, quartered and blanched
2 each romaine lettuce, chiffonade
¼ cup chopped tarragon
¼ cup chopped chives
½ cup chopped parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic
Zest of one lemon
1 lemon, juiced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter

Lay out the bacon on a piece of plastic wrap, next put the monkfish on the bacon, season with salt and pepper, and roll up tying the ends of the plastic wrap. Poach the monkfish in a pot of simmering water for 8 minutes. Take the monkfish out of the plastic wrap, heat up a sauté pan, coat with oil, then add the fish, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 springs of thyme and one clove of garlic, cook at 375ºF for 7 minutes.

In a separate pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, the peas, radishes, the romaine and some chopped red onion and sauté. For the salsa verde, mix the tarragon, chives, parsley, lemon and olive oil. Reserve for plating.


bacon recipe source: Gavin Kaysen, Today, April 24, 2015

3600. BREAKFAST BANH MI with BACON and CURRY AIOLI

makes four sandwiches


1 1/2 cups shredded or thinly sliced daikon radish
1 1/2 cups shredded or thinly sliced carrots
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons hot curry powder (more or less to taste)
1 whole wheat baguette, cut into 4-equal pieces and then cut in half lengthwise
1 large cucumber, cut in half and then sliced thin
8 slices of fully-cooked bacon
4-8 eggs, cooked to your liking
salt and black pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

In a medium bowl, toss together the daikon radish, carrots, sugar and salt. Set aside at room temperature to pickle for 20-30 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo and curry powder. Set aside. Taking each piece of baguette, spread on a layer of the curry aioli. Line each roll with cucumber, bacon, pickled veggies, and 1-2 eggs per sandwich. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Place sliced jalapeno on top and sprinkle of cilantro leaves. Serve the sandwiches immediately and enjoy!

bacon recipe source: Justine, Cooking and Beer (@cookingandbeer), March 1, 2015

3559. BEER, BACON and STEAK SOBA BOWLS

serves four


3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lime, sliced
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 large daikon, trimmed and cut into matchsticks (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds petite filet or flat-iron steaks
12 ounces soba or whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons high temperature/stir fry cooking oil
1/2 pound smoky black pepper bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tamari
1 can Sapporo beer
4 cups beef stock (32 ounces)
shiso cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the vinegar, lime slices, water, salt and sugar in a saucepot over medium heat until at a low boil and sugar and salt dissolves. Pour the brine over the daikon and reserve.

Place the meat in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up for stability when thinly slicing.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook soba or spaghetti to al dente, according to the package directions.

Very thinly slice the beef against the grain.

Heat a large, round-bottom pot over high heat; add a little oil and brown and crisp the bacon. Remove to plate and spoon off all but 3 tablespoons fat. Add the beef in small batches to the hot drippings and stir fry it until brown and crispy at edges; remove to plate. Add the scallions to blister them, then add the garlic and edamame. Toss, then add the Worcestershire sauce and tamari; deglaze the pan with beer and reduce by half. Add the stock and simmer.

Divide the bacon, beef and noodles among bowls and top with soup. Garnish with the drained pickled daikon, shiso or cilantro leaves.

bacon recipe source: Rachael Ray, September 9, 2013

3281. DANDELION and BITTER GREENS with FRIED POTATOES and WARM BACON DRESSING

yields 6 servings

 

 

2 cups chopped dandelion leaves (about 1/2 pound)
2 cups baby red leaf lettuce
1 cup chopped escarole or frisee
1 cup sliced Belgian endive
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
4 strips apple-smoked bacon, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup grated peeled apples
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Fried Potatoes:
2 pounds baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into uniform 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the dandelions, red lead lettuce, escarole, endive, radishes, and eggs, and toss to mix.

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring, until crisp and brown. Add the vinegar and sugar, and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the apples and stir to combine. Season with the salt and pepper, and add the oil. Remove from the heat and pour the hot dressing over greens mixture and mix thoroughly. Top with the Fried Potatoes.

Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve immediately. (Dressing can be prepared ahead and reheated, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to saucepan. If it thickens too much, add a little water.)
 

Fried Potatoes: In a medium, heavy saucepan, place the potatoes in enough salted water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are slightly tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.

Heat the oil in a large, deep, heavy pot or an electric deep fryer to 360 degrees F. Add the potatoes and fry, turning to brow evenly, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt, to taste, and serve warm in the salad.

bacon recipe source: Emeril Lagasse, "Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking," Emeril Live, Food Network, 2002

3019. CRISPY OYSTER and PAD THAI with BACON

serves four


1 pound Pad Thai noodles
1 cup Pad Thai sauce, (recipe follows)
vegetable oil for deep frying plus a little extra for stir frying
dozen shucked oysters
rice flour for dusting
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, green part only, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup bacon lardons, cooked until crispy
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup bean sprouts
¼ cup preserved radish
2 tablespoons roughly chopped peanuts
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
cilantro leaves, basil leaves (preferably Thai basil), and lime wedges for garnish

Pad Thai Sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely minced lemongrass
1/2 cup water
½ cup sherry vinegar
2 cups fish sauce
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 cup tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon paprika
2 kaffir lime leaves

In a large saucepan cook the garlic and shallot in the oil over low heat, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add the lemongrass and cook until aromatic. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve. Note: This is a huge batch. You will only need 1 cup for the recipe, so keep the rest in the fridge for future recipes.

Put the noodles in a large bowl, cover them with cold water. Cover and chill them overnight. Make the Pad Thai sauce.

Heat 2 inches oil in a deep saucepan over moderately high heat until 365 F. When the oil is hot, coat the oysters in the rice flour, shaking off the excess. Add them to the oil carefully and fry until very crispy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Combine the chile, scallions, onion, bacon, carrots, bean sprouts, preserved radish and peanuts in one bowl.

In a wok or large skillet heat a little vegetable oil over high heat. Add the eggs and stir constantly until they are almost scrambled about 30 seconds. Add the bowl of ingredients and stir fry 1 minute. Add Pad Thai noodles and stir fry until soft and wilted. Add Pad Thai sauce and toss. Add cilantro and basil and stir to combine well. Remove from wok and spoon into bowls. Garnish with lime.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sara Moulton, Sara's Weeknight Meals, Episode 305, Season 3; January 30, 2013

2981. SAUTEED RADISHES with BACON and ORANGE BUTTER

makes six servings 


1/4 pound applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch dice 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
3 pounds radishes with their greens; radishes quartered lengthwise with some stem still attached, greens coarsely chopped 
salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 large shallots, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off the bacon fat in the skillet.
 
Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and melt over moderately high heat. Add the radish greens, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Scrape the greens into a bowl. 

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the radishes, shallots and crisp bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until the radishes are golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for 2 minutes, until dissolved. Add the orange juice and boil, stirring a few times, until the radishes are barely tender and the sauce is lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the radish greens, season with salt and pepper and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Emeril Lagasse, Food & Wine, February 2012

2954. STEAMED BACON BUNS with HOISIN

makes four servings 


1/2 pound thick-cut smoky bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces 
sixteen 1/8-inch-thick coins peeled fresh ginger 
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 
1/4 cup mirin 
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 
2 tablespoons sugar 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
One 16.3-ounce tube buttermilk biscuit dough (8 biscuits)
hoisin sauce, Sriracha, sliced scallions, sliced radishes and bread-and-butter pickles, for serving 

In a large skillet, cook the bacon and ginger over moderately high heat, turning the bacon once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Spoon off all of the fat in the skillet. Add the chicken broth, mirin, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce to the skillet and simmer over very low heat, turning the bacon occasionally, until it is tender and the liquid is reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, fill a roasting pan with 2 inches of water and set 4 ramekins in the corners of the pan. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray. Arrange the biscuits in the baking pan and set it on top of the ramekins in the roasting pan, over the water. Cover the roasting pan very tightly with foil and bring to a boil over high heat. Steam the biscuits until fluffy and cooked through, about 8 minutes. 

Carefully split each biscuit with your fingers and arrange them on a platter; spread the bottoms with hoisin sauce and Sriracha and top with the glazed bacon. Drizzle each bun with some of the glaze and garnish with sliced scallions, radishes and pickles. Close the buns and serve right away.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Grace Parisi, Food & Wine, February 2013

2885. GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD with BACON and LEMON-PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

Salad:
1/2 lb octopus
2 slices thin cut bacon
2 radishes, sliced thin
handful of yellow wax beans
1/4 cup fava beans
1/4 cup red cabbage
little less than a 1/4 cup pistachios 

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios

Vinaigrette: In a blender mix lemon juice, shallot, tarragon, red wine vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. With blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream until well incorporated. Turn off blender, add pistachios and pulse until finely chopped.

Salad: In a saucepan add octopus and enough water to cover octopus but about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer about an hour. Remove from boiling water and once cool enough to handle cut into large bite size pieces.

Cook bacon in a fry pan until lightly crisp. Boil wax beans in water about 5-7 minutes until just starting to become tender.

Heat grill. In a bowl toss all salad ingredients in dressing to lightly coat. Transfer to a mesh fry pan (one made for grilling). Cook on grill until salad ingredients are lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and toss with a bit more dressing to lightly coat salad and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Pretty in Pork, July 6, 2011

2551. BLOOD ORANGE and BACON HANGOVER SALAD

1/2 cup shelled pistachios 
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 head Boston lettuce (or another leafy green lettuce, such as green leaf or red leaf) 
1 large or 2 small blood oranges, peel removed and slices cut out without the pith (membrane that separates the slices) 
3 strips bacon, cooked to crispy 
2-3 small radishes, quartered to wedges

In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, mustard, and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking rapidly until mixture is emulsified. Gently tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Toss with the dressing and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of:  The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove by Cathy Erway. Gotham, 2010 | posted by Caroline Russock on Serious Eats, February 25, 2010

2538. BACON and RADISH SPAGHETTI

makes 4 smaller portions, or 2 massive bowls of pasta


1/2 pound dried spaghetti
6 slices of your favorite bacon
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup sliced and then halved radishes
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Get your water boiling for the pasta, and cook it according to directions, drain and set aside, keeping it warm. However, while that pasta is cooking, do the following:

In a large skillet, start cooking up your bacon. You want this bacon cooked until it's crispy enough to crumble, so it holds up in the pasta. Once it is that crispy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and set aside.

Now, while the bacon and the pasta are cooking, take a large, deep skillet or saute pan, and melt two tablespoons of your butter in it. Add your sliced radishes to the pan, spreading them out so they touch the butter, and cooking surface.

Once the radishes begin to get a touch translucent, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and your red pepper flakes. Continue cooking them, until tender. This takes about 8-10 minutes or so.

Finally, crumble your bacon over the radishes and stir to combine. Allow to cook about 2 minutes together, and add your pasta to the deep skillet. Toss everything until well-mixed. Add your final tablespoon of butter and toss with the pasta mixture. Cook together for 2-3 minutes and then serve immediately with lots of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kim Bingham, Lighter and Local, July 21, 2011

2070. FRISEE and RADISH SALAD with BACON and HAZELNUT DRESSING

makes 4 to 6 servings


1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup hazelnuts (2 ounces), coarsely chopped
4 bacon slices
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 small heads frisée (about 10 ounces total)
4 medium radishes, thinly sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add hazelnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly in skillet.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Break bacon into 1-inch pieces.

Purée hazelnuts (with any remaining cooking oil), vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining vegetable oil, and reserved bacon fat in a blender just until nuts are finely chopped (dressing will be thick and slightly chunky).

Toss frisée, radishes, and bacon with dressing.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kay Chun, Gourmet, January 2011

1950. WARM SMOKED BACON, BROAD BEAN and SEA PURSLANE SALAD

8 new potatoes, washed
2 rashers of smoked back bacon
2 breakfast radishes, washed
20 leaves of sea purslane, washed
125 grams broad beans, shelled and outer skins removed
10 ml extra virgin live oil
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Cook the new potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, refresh and drain. Peel the potatoes and break them into bite size irregular chunks. Wash the radishes, remove the leaves and slice the radishes finely using a mandolin. Blanch and refresh the broad beans and remove the outer skins and finely shred the sea purslane. Shred the smoked back bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The British Larder, July 27, 2010

1890. BIBB and RADISH SALAD with BACON DRESSING

yields 4 to 6 servings


6 ounces slab bacon, trimmed and cut into thin, bite-size pieces 1/2 cup water
2 shallots, peeled
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 radishes, tops trimmed down to 1/2-inch, thoroughly washed and dried
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 heads Bibb lettuce, removed, cut in 1/2, washed and dried

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the bacon and 1/2 cup water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce until it evaporates. The bacon will start to render its fat and brown. Lower the heat and allow to cook at a slow, steady pace. When the bacon is crispy and light brown, drain the fat into a medium-size bowl and set the bacon aside. Put the shallots on a flat surface and cut them into thin rounds. Transfer to a large salad bowl and season them with salt, to taste. Add the red wine vinegar and mustard and stir to blend. Stir in the bacon fat, tasting as you go. Start with about 1/4 cup of the fat and taste as you add the rest. There should be a good balance between the bacon flavor and the acidity of the red wine vinegar. Set aside. Put the radishes on a cutting board and, using a small, sharp knife, slice them into 1/4-inch rounds (with the bit of the tops still attached). Add them to a small bowl and stir in the mustard. Add the Bibb lettuce to the bowl with the bacon dressing. Toss to blend. Taste for seasoning, then stir in the radishes and the cooked bacon. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Alex Guarnaschelli, "Lunch with Friends," Alex's Day Off, The Food Network

1858. GREEN ASPARAGUS wrapped in BACON with RADISH SOY SAUCE

makes four portions


6 asparagus spears
salt
6 very thin slices of mildly salted bacon
vegetable oil
160 grams grated radish
40 ml soy sauce
10 ml lemon juice
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

Peel the asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Cook in boiling salted water. Then lift the asparagus out of the water with a slotted spoon, cool with ice-cold water and pat dry with a towel. Wrap the thinly sliced bacon around the asparagus, cut into 4 cm long pieces and place on the skewer. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the asparagus skewers on both sides over a medium flame. Mix the grated radish, soy sauce and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the thinly sliced peppers. Serve with the kebabs as a dip.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kikkoman Europe, Theodorstraße 293, 40472 Düsseldorf, Germany

1857. ROMAINE SALAD with BLUE CHEESE, BACON and RADISHES

makes 6 servings


1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 strips thick sliced bacon
3 (6-ounce) hearts of romaine
3 to 4 large radishes, sliced as thin as possible

In a small bowl, macerate the shallots in the vinegar until they soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the mayonnaise and blue cheese and stir roughly with a fork, mashing any large clumps of cheese. Stir in just enough cream to make a slightly creamy consistency; the dressing will be very thick. Add salt to taste; because blue cheese can be quite salty, it might not need any. Stir in a generous grinding of pepper and refrigerate tightly covered. Before serving, let warm slightly and stir briskly.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat, turning once, until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

To make the salad: Discard any tough or faded outer leaves from the romaine. Separate the heads into individual leaves. Rinse well, spin or wipe dry and combine in a large bowl.

Spoon on about ½ cup of the dressing and toss, adding more dressing 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to lightly coat the leaves.

Arrange the romaine on six chilled salad plates, crumble the bacon over top and scatter the sliced radishes over everything.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Miami Herald, June 3, 2010

1068. MACKEREL EGGY BREAD with BACON, WATERCRESS, RADISHES and SAFFRON AIOLI

serves 4


1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
100 grams watercress, washed and drained
12 radishes, quartered
250 grams smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and mashed with a fork
8 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
100ml single cream

Saffron Aioli
a pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large egg
150ml light olive oil or extra virgin rapeseed oil

For the aioli, put the saffron in a small bowl with the lemon juice and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and soak for a further 5 minutes. Separate the egg and add the yolk to the saffron mixture. Whisk this with a fork, then add half the white too. Whisk in the oil, ½ tsp at a time, until you’ve used up a quarter of the oil. Now add 1 tsp at a time until you’ve used half of it. Then slowly drizzle the rest in, whisking continuously, until it is all emulsified. If it looks as though the mixture will split, add 1 tsp hot water and whisk for 15 seconds. Season, cover tightly and put in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas 1. Spread the mackerel thinly over the 8 slices of bread and lay the tomatoes on half of these. Press the remaining 4 slices of bread firmly on top. Whisk the eggs with the cream and a pinch of salt. Dip the mackerel sandwiches in the egg coating on both sides. Place on a tray. Pour over any excess eggy mixture. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Fry the sandwiches in batches for 3–4 minutes each side, until golden. Place in the oven to keep warm. Wipe the pan and fry the bacon until crisp.

Place the eggy bread on warm plates. Top with the watercress, radish and bacon. Dollop with a spoonful of aioli and serve.


courtesy of: Waitrose, Waitrose Limited, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YA