3844. BACON WRAPPED ROAST BEEF with MUSTARD and HORSERADISH

Serves 4


3 1/2 lb top sirloin roast beef
6 slices bacon
¼ cup softened butter, clarified butter or other cooking fat
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp of Dijon or homemade mustard
1 tbsp good quality or homemade horseradish
3/4 cup red wine
1 3/4 cups homemade beef stock

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

In a small bowl, combine the butter or other cooking fat, garlic, mustard and horseradish. Mix until smooth.

Rub the roast all over with the mixture.

Lay the bacon pieces out flat so that they are slightly overlapping. Then place the roast on top of the bacon and wrap the pieces around the roast. If needed, use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.

Place the roast in a roasting dish and cook at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Once the roast has been in for 20 minutes, add the wine and stock to the roasting dish. At the same time, adjust the heat to 350 F.

Roast for about 70 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your meat. 20 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb for a medium rare to medium well roast.


bacon recipe source: Sébastien Noël, Paleo Leap (@PaleoLeap)

3717. PORCINI and BACON SAUCE

makes about 2 1/4 cups


2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1/4 pound sliced bacon, chopped
9 garlic cloves, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
3 cups dry red wine
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
Reserved roasting pan with juices
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, diced

Place porcini mushrooms in small bowl; add 2 cups boiling water. Let soak until mushrooms soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Strain, reserving mushrooms and liquid separately.

Sauté bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until golden. Add garlic and shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms; sauté 8 minutes. Transfer half of mushrooms to bowl; reserve.

Add drained porcini and wine to pan. Boil 15 minutes. Mix in all broth. Add porcini liquid, leaving sediment behind. Return mixture to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until mixture is reduced to 5 cups, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Skim fat from top; add rosemary. Simmer 3 minutes; discard rosemary. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover mushroom-wine mixture and reserved mushrooms separately; chill.)

Place reserved roasting pan over 2 burners. Add mushroom-wine mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Strain back into same saucepan, pressing out all liquid. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Mix in reserved mushrooms from bowl. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper.




bacon recipe source: Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes, Bon Appétit, December 2005

3712. CASSOULET of BACON and TOULOUSE SAUSAGE with CONFIT PHEASANT

serves eight 


2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
8 Toulouse sausages
400g whole piece of smoked streaky bacon
2 generous glasses of red wine
600g good-quality chopped canned Italian tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
2 x 400g cans white haricot beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
50g fine white breadcrumbs
a little chopped parsley to serve

For the pheasant
4 x 500g jars goose fat
8 pheasant legs, bone in
10 black peppercorns 

Locate your heaviest deep pan (with a lid) and put it over a low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the goose fat. Soften the celery, onions and garlic cloves, then add the sausages and brown them all for about 10-15 minutes (you may have to turn the heat up a bit). 

Remove the rind from the bacon and cut the bacon into 8 square chunks. Add the bacon and rind to the pot and pour in the red wine and tomatoes; I like to put the smoked rind in for flavour then pick it out later. Add the bay leaf and thyme, cover and simmer very slowly for 3 hrs. 

While the base is cooking, prepare the confit. This could also be done well in advance, since it keeps so well. Heat oven to 150ºC/300ºF and season the pheasant legs well with sea salt and pepper. Pack these together tightly into an ovenproof casserole and cover with the goose fat. Add the peppercorns and cook for 2½ hrs, until the pheasant is tender. Remove the legs carefully from the hot fat and drain on a rack above a roasting tray. Increase the oven temp to 200ºC/400ºF. If you are making these ahead, cool and store in the fat in the fridge. To serve, heat gently to melt so you can lift out the legs. 

To finish, tip the sausage mix into an ovenproof dish, stir in the beans with some seasoning and sit the pheasant legs on top. Sprinkle the whole thing with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 minutes until golden. Scatter with parsley to serve.


bacon recipe source: Mike Robinson, Good Food magazine, November 2009

3688. DUCK in RED WINE-CURRANT SAUCE with CRACKLINGS and BACON

yields four servings 


2 small boneless duck breasts, skin removed and reserved 
2 slices bacon, cut across into thin strips 
½ teaspoon salt 
Freshly ground pepper to taste 
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots 
1 cup red wine 
½ cup chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned 
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 
3 tablespoons currants 
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Julienne half of the duck skin and discard the rest. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck skin and bacon and cook, stirring constantly, pouring off and reserving rendered fat as it accumulates, until skin and bacon are well browned, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Save 2 teaspoons of fat and discard the rest.

Season the duck with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 teaspoon of the fat in the skillet. Sear duck until browned on the outside and medium rare inside, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Add the remaining fat and the shallots to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine, broth, vinegar and currants and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Cut the duck on the diagonal into thin strips and fan out onto 4 plates. Spoon the sauce over the duck, sprinkle with the reserved duck skin and bacon and serve immediately. 


bacon recipe source: Molly O'Neill, The New York Times/Cooking (@nytfood)

3651. BACON and FIG MARMALADE

serves eight


1 lb. fresh figs, chopped

¼ lb. bacon, diced
1 each yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sachet of cloves, bay leaf, fresh thyme, star anise

 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add bacon and render until crispy. Remove bacon and reserve for later.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Sweat onion and ginger in bacon fat until translucent.

Add figs, and slowly caramelize over medium high heat. Add honey, red wine, balsamic vinegar and sachet of spice. Turn heat to low and slowly reduce mixture until a jam like consistency.

Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add this to the rest of the mixture and fold in crispy bacon.

Serve at room temperature on a crostini. Garnish with fresh tarragon and thyme.

 

 

bacon recipe source: Hall Wines (@HALLWines), 401 St. Helena Highway South, St. Helena, CA 94574

3634. SEARED BACON-CRUSTED ALBACORE TENDERLOIN with POMEGRANATE REDUCTION

For the sauce:

2 cups red wine

1½ cups pomegranate juice

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the albacore:

1 2-inch-thick piece of albacore tuna loin per person. 

1 strip of apple wood-smoked bacon per piece of tuna. 

1 tablespoon (15 ml.) peanut oil. 

Watercress, radish sprouts, sunflower sprouts, or any other micro-green or spring salad mix that you like. 

White from one egg

For the sauce: Combine first three ingredients in a saucepan and reduce over a low flame to half its volume and set aside until ready to serve. When ready to serve, whisk in olive oil before drizzling over fish and greens.

For the albacore: In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook bacon strips until brown and crispy. Turn off the flame and keep the bacon fat in the pan; drain bacon in paper towels and set aside to cool. When bacon has cooled, break into pieces into a blender and blend at high speed until completely pulverized, then empty bacon onto a flat plate. In a bowl, beat the egg white then brush the sides of the albacore loin with egg white and gently roll in bacon, taking care to cover the sides of the loin with as many bacon bits as possible. Reserve remaining bacon bits. Turn your oven broiler to high and position the topmost rack about three to four inches from the top. Over a high flame, heat the cast-iron skillet that you cooked the bacon in, along with the reserved bacon fat, and gently place each albacore loin medallion into the skillet, then place the skillet into the oven. Broil for 3 minutes, remove the skillet and gently turn over albacore medallions, taking care not to knock off bacon bits. Place skillet back under broiler for 3 more minutes to sear the other side. Prepare individual serving plates with a small mound of micro-greens or salad mix and gently set one albacore medallion on each mound of greens. Whisk the olive oil into the pomegranate reduction and drizzle a little onto each medallion and mound of greens. Top off each medallion with the remaining reserved bacon bits and serve.

bacon recipe source: Victor Panichkul, The Taste of Oregon (@TasteofOregon), August 11, 2010

3610. RICH BEEF STEW with BACON and PLUMS

makes eight servings

 

 

1 3½ pound well-marbled beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces thick sliced, center-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt

2 cups diced yellow onions

1 leek, white part only, split lengthwise (then blotted dry (reserve one long inner piece) and cut crosswide into slices

3 large cloves garlic, peeled, and roughly chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

2 3/4 cups dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir)

1 cups chicken stock

1 stick cinnamon, broken

2 whole cloves

7 whole black peppercorns

3 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried bay leaf)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

5 stems fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stems reserved

1 cup pitted prunes

 

Trim and cut roast into 2-inch pieces. Sprinkle evenly with the 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cover; chill overnight. 

 

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with a silicone baking mat; set aside. Cook bacon in 1 tablespoon hot oil over medium-low heat until browned. Remove; drain on paper towel, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings. Place squash on prepared pan. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Sprinkle salt; toss to coat. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once. Cover with waxed paper; set aside. Reduce oven to 275ºF. 

 

Add remaining 2 tablespoons. olive oil to remaining 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Blot beef well with paper towels; add to skillet in batches, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Brown deeply on all sides. Remove; set aside. 

 

Drain all but 1 tsp. fat from skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and onions to pan. Sprinkle with salt. Stir over medium heat, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until onions just begin to soften. Stir in leek slices and garlic. Sprinkle with salt. Cook 4 minutes more. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish; set aside. Pour wine into skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, until reduced by half. 

 

Place beef and bacon over onions. Pour reduced wine over. Add stock to almost cover. Using kitchen string, tie cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth; tuck into beef mixture. Add bay leaves. Dollop tomato paste around beef mixture. Sprinkle with thyme. Tie together parsley stems and inner leek piece; add to beef mixture. Place parchment paper over dish. Top with a triple layer of heavy foil. Seal tightly. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake 2 hours. Uncover; add prunes. Cover; bake 45 minutes to an hour more or until meat is easily pierced with a knife. Uncover; skim fat. Remove cheesecloth bag and parsley stems; discard. Increase oven to 350ºF. Add butternut squash. Bake uncovered, 20 minutes, basting once or twice. To serve, sprinkle with parsley leaves.

 

 

bacon recipe source: Scott Peacock, Better Homes and Gardens (@BHG)

3588. CHICKEN in RED WINE with ONIONS, MUSHROOMS and BACON: COQ AU VIN

yields 4 to 6 servings


3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Chianti
1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
12 to 24 brown-braised onions (recipe below)
1/2 pound sauteed mushrooms (recipe below)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
Fresh parsley leaves

Brown-braised onions:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter
1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper
Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

Sauteed Mushrooms:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional
Salt and pepper

Brown-Braised Onions: When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Bake them as follows: Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

 

Sauteed Mushrooms: Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.
 

 

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.

In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.

 

bacon recipe source: Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995); Sara Moulton, "Foolproof Dishes," Sara's Secrets, Food Network

3526. BRAISED BEEF SHOULDER with RED WINE and BACON

yields 6-8 servings


4 pounds flatiron steak, or other cut beef chuck
2 oranges
6 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
1/4 pound country bacon, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Bouquet garni (4 sprigs fresh flat-parsley, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, and 1 bay leaf tied with kitchen string)
6 stalks celery, trimmed and cut on bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 large carrots, peeled, trimmed, and on the bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 large onions, peeled and cut into inch-thick slices or wedges
2 cups beef stock, low sodium canned beef broth, or water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

The day before you want to cook the beef, place it in a nonreactive bowl or Pyrex dish. Remove the zest of 1 orange using a vegetable peeler, including as little of the white pith as possible, and julienne. Juice both oranges and strain the juice. In a large bowl, combine the orange juice and zest, red wine, cognac, bacon, garlic, and bouquet garni. Pour the marinade over the beef, add the celery, carrots, and onions, cover, and marinate for at least 12 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.

Transfer the beef to a platter. Strain the marinade through a colander into a medium saucepan and reserve the vegetables and herbs. Pour the beef stock into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and keep at a slow, steady simmer.

Warm the vegetable oil and butter in a large cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and season all over with salt and the pepper. Dust the beef with the flour on all sides. When the oil is hot, add the beef to the pot and sear until golden brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour in the hot stock mixture and add the reserved vegetables and bouquet garni.

Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Braise, basting and turning the beef every 30 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Discard the bouquet garni. If the sauce is too thin or is not flavored intensely enough, ladle most of it off into another pot and simmer it until it thickens and intensifies. Then add it back to the original pot and serve.



bacon recipe source: Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine by Chef Daniel Boulud (ECCO /Harper Collins, 2006)

3462. BRAISED NAPA CABBAGE with APPLE and BACON

makes 6 servings


1 tablespoon caraway seeds
6 strips bacon, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 medium Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the caraway seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until seeds are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Place the bacon in a large pot over medium heat and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onions, apple, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients; cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the cabbage is tender and the braising liquid has reduced by two thirds, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Chef Bradley Ogden, February 7, 2013

3328. CHARRED OCTOPUS SALAD with BACON and TANGERINE SAUCE

yields 5 to 6 servings


1 bottle red wine, such as Merlot

2 heads garlic, halved
1/3 cup black peppercorns
one 2-pound octopus
4 bacon slices, cut into lardons

tangerine sauce (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pink peppercorns, crushed
3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves picked, for garnish
microgreens, for garnish
micro baby arugula, for garnish
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
 

Tangerine sauce:
2 cups tangerine juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 anchovies
1 half finger chile
canola oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Tangerine Sauce: Reduce the juice and honey in a saute pan over medium heat until syrupy. Allow to cool slightly. Combine in a food processor with the red wine vinegar, mustard, anchovies and chile and process until smooth. While processing, drizzle in enough canola oil to create an emulsified sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Octopus salad: Combine the red wine, garlic, black peppercorns and 2 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Dip the octopus in the boiling liquid for 10 seconds and lift it back out. Repeat the process 3 times. Finally, submerge the octopus in the liquid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and allow the octopus to poach in the liquid until tender, about 90 minutes.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the fat in the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat a grill to high heat. Warm up half of the Tangerine Sauce in a saute pan on medium heat.

Remove the octopus from the poaching liquid and allow to cool before handling, about 10 minutes. Remove the head and discard. Cut off the tentacles from the body and reserve the body for another use. Dip the tentacles into the reserved bacon fat, and place on the hot grill to char very briefly. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tentacles to a large ovenproof saute pan, toss with the heated Tangerine Sauce and place in the oven for 5 minutes.

To serve, drizzle some of the remaining Tangerine Sauce on each plate. Sprinkle some of the crushed peppercorns and oregano leaves around each plate. Place a tentacle on each plate and sprinkle with some of the bacon. Garnish with the Bulls Blood microgreens and micro arugula. Finish with a drizzle of oil and some freshly ground black pepper. 

 

 

bacon recipe source: Bobby Flay, "Timer's Up," Worst Cooks in America, Food Network

3289. SPICY RED WINE BACON HABANERO SAUCE

2 habanero peppers, diced
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons butter
 salt to taste

Heat a saute pan to medium heat and bacon slices. Cook about 10 minutes, or until bacon begins to crisp. Add onion and habanero peppers. Stir. Cook about 5 minutes, or until onions are nice and soft. Add red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow wine to reduce to about 1/4 cup, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter to melt. This will thicken the sauce and make it velvety. Strain into a serving dish and salt to taste. Serve.


bacon recipe source: Habanero Madness.com

3265. BIG EGG, BACON and BEAN SALAD

serves 6 


750 (1.5 lb.) grams salad potatoes
3 eggs
200 (1/2 lb.) grams fine green beans, trimmed
6 rashers smoked streaky or back bacon
100 (3.5 oz.) grams Kalamata olives, stones in or out, it's up to you
100 (3.5 oz.) grams bag baby spinach

For the dressing
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine, red wine or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons capers, drained
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
handful shop-bought croutons, to serve 

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add salt, then drop in the potatoes and set the timer for 20 mins. With 8 mins to go, add the eggs to the pan, making sure they’re submerged. With 4 mins to go, add the green beans. When the cooking time is up, drain everything together in a colander, then cool under cold water. 

While everything boils, heat the grill to high. Grill the bacon for about 8 mins, turning halfway, until crisp and golden. Snip into bite-size pieces. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together with some seasoning in an airtight container. Peel the eggs and cut the potatoes in half. Layer up the potatoes, beans, olives, spinach and bacon, in that order, in a large lidded container, then tuck the eggs around. Chill until needed. 

Just before eating, lift out the eggs and cut in half. Shake or whisk the dressing again, then toss the salad with most of the dressing. Scatter the eggs and croutons on top, drizzle the rest of the dressing over the cut eggs, then tuck in.


bacon recipe source: Jane Hornby, Good Food Magazine, BBC, August 2010

3186. COLONIAL BACON-AND-OYSTER-STUFFED BRISKET

yields 10-12 servings

 

 

20 shucked, minced oysters, liquor reserved

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 pound sliced bacon, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 brisket, about 4 pounds

Kosher salt

All-purpose flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups red wine

 

In a bowl, toss together oysters, sage, parsley, mace, cinnamon, bacon and pepper.

 

With a long, sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut a pocket in the brisket. Make the cut parallel to the cutting board and in the middle of the meat, cutting almost -- but not through -- the sides of the brisket. Sprinkle the brisket generously with salt. Dust it lightly with flour.

 

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a Dutch oven with a tight-fitted lid, heat the oil over high heat. Brown the brisket on both sides. Transfer the brisket to a plate. Stuff the brisket pocket with the oyster-bacon mixture. Using toothpicks, seal the pocket.

 

Drain the oil from the Dutch oven. Return the brisket to the Dutch oven, and pour in the red wine and the reserved oyster liquor. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and continue baking until the brisket is well browned and very tender, about 1 hour more.

 

Remove the brisket and transfer it to a plate, reserving the liquid. Cover the brisket with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly across the grain, transfer it to a platter, spoon over some of the reserved liquid and serve. 

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Molly O'Neill, "Love Me Tender," Food, The New York Times, October 1, 2000

 

3149. SALMON cooked with FLAGEOLETS, BACON and RED WINE

makes four servings


4 pieces salmon fillet, preferably King, about 6 oz. each and 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
salt
1 1/3 cups medium-bodied red wine, such as Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, or a light Merlot
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 oz. thickly-sliced bacon or braised bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
about 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced and chilled
1/2 cup finely diced carrots (2 oz.)
1/2 cup finely diced celery (2 oz.)
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onions (2 oz.)
2 cups cooked flageolets, drained, cooking liquid reserved
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Seasoning the salmon: [For the best flavor, do this several hours in advance]: Season the salmon evenly with salt. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

Cooking the salmon: Preheat the broiler. Position the rack about 6 inches from the element.

Place the wine in a small saucepan and reduce to about 1/3 cup. Add the chicken stock and return to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Place the bacon in a 12- or 14-inch ovenproof skillet and lightly brown it in its own fat over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly and pour off all but a film of the fat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the butter, the carrots, celery, onions, and 1 sprig of the thyme. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the flageolets, about 1 cup of the red wind-stock mixture, the bay leaf, another sprig of thyme, and about 3 tablespoons of the butter. Raise the heat to medium and swirl as the liquid comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add the salmon, and swirl and tilt the pan to baste the top of the fish. Make sure no beans, bacon, or bits of vegetables are perched on top of the fish, where they could burn. The pieces of fish should not be touching one another.

Place the pan under the broiler. Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes; the salmon should be quite rare and the whole surface of the dish should be sizzling and beginning to color. Watch closely; if the fish or beans threaten to char at any point, reduce the oven temperature to 500.

While the fish is cooking, set four plates in the oven to heat for a minute or so, then remove.

Transfer the pan to the stovetop. Using a spatula and tongs, transfer the salmon onto the warm plates, where it should reach medium-rare as you finish the sauce. Protect from drafts.

Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Taste. If the liquid looks or tastes thin, simmer briefly to reduce and allow the starch from the beans to bind the sauce. If it seems winy, add a splash of the reserved bean cooking liquid. If you want more sauce, add the last splash of red wine-stock mixture and some bean liquid. Correct the salt. Reduce the heat and swirl in some or all of the remaining butter, to your taste.

Spoon the saucy beans over the waiting fish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes & Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant, by Judy Rodgers; NY: W.W. Norton & Company; pp. 325-326

3145. ROAST SIRLOIN with BEEF FORESTIERE with BACON

makes 6 to 8 servings


1/3 cup red wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
One 2-inch-thick sirloin steak (about 2 lb)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
12 pearl onions, blanched and peeled

Sauce forestiere:
2 ounces side bacon, cut into lardons
2 1/2 cups sliced wild mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

In large, shallow baking dish, combine wine, vegetable oil, thyme, onions and garlic. Add steak, turning to coat well. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours in fridge. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove steak from dish. Season with salt and pepper and place in roasting pan. Add onions. Roast in 425 F oven for 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 375 F and continue to roast for 15 minutes for medium doneness (internal temperature 130 F). When cooked, remove steak and onions from pan and rest the meat, tented with foil, for 10 minutes.

For the sauce forestiere: Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook bacon lardons all over high heat for 5 minutes or until crisp and brown; remove from pan and reserve. Drain off all but 2 tbsp of fat. Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring gently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and add bacon.

Stir in wine, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to boil, cook for 7 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tbsp. Reserve.

Place roasting pan on burner set to medium-high. Pour beef stock into pan, stirring to scrape up brown bits. Bring to boil, simmer for 3 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Stir in reserved wine glaze, butter, mushrooms, bacon, salt and pepper. Heat through; remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Thinly slice roast and serve garnished with onions and sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Last Dinner on the Titanic by Rick Archbold and  Dana McCauley. Hyperion/Madison Press, 1997; Nadine Fownes, "Titanic Meal," The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 11, 2012

3134. RIGATONI with ITALIAN SAUSAGE and BACON

serves two 


1/2 medium onion
2 strips bacon
6 oz hot Italian sausage
2 tablespoons red wine
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
salt and pepper
6 oz rigatoni
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cut the onion in half vertically. Place one half cut-side down and slice lengthwise, as thinly as possible. Cut the bacon crosswise into lardons. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Return the pan to the stove. Remove the sausages from their casings and crumble into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely brown, about 3 minutes. Drain the fat. Add cooked meat to the cooked onion and bacon mixture. Set aside. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the red wine and de-glaze by scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Let the wine simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and return the onion, bacon and sausage mixture to the pan. Cover and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if desired. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve in warm bowls topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Laura Leigh Goyer, An Uneducated Palate, September 7, 2012

3096. ROAST SALMON with RED WINE, BACON and VEGETABLE MIREPOIX

serves four


4 strips of bacon, diced
1 carrot
1 leek
1 celery stick
4 salmon fillets, 6 oz. each
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Fry bacon in a heavy skillet to remove fat and set aside. Make a mirepoix of the vegetables by finely dicing carrots, leek and celery to uniform cubes. Simmer vegetables until crisp tender and place a spoonful of vegetables on top of each fillet in an oiled baking pan. Roast in the oven until the center of the salmon is just pink, approximately 10 minutes.

While salmon is baking combine the stock, wine and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce this by one half. Prepare a roux by kneading together the flour and butter, forming small balls. Add roux balls, one at a time to simmering sauce until it has reached the consistency of heavy cream. Add the diced bacon and serve over fillets.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Maritime Flavours: Guidebook & Cookbook, by Elaine Elliot and Virginia Lee, p. 61. Halifax and Boston: Formac Publishing Company Limited, 1997

3083. ONE POT PARTRIDGE with BACON and CHESTNUTS

serves four

1 tablespoon juniper berries 

4 oven-ready partridges

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 oz. butter 

1 tablespoon sunflower oil 

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 rashers rindless streaky bacon, cut into 2cm/1in slices

3-4 bushy sprigs fresh thyme 

2 tablespoons plain flour 

5 tablespoons dry gin 

3½fl oz orange juice (about 1 large orange)

7fl oz red wine 

12fl oz chicken stock, fresh or made with 1 stock cube

2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or red currant jelly 

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

7 oz. cooked and peeled chestnuts, halved

½ medium Savoy cabbage, tough outer leaves removed

Put the juniper seeds in a pestle and mortar and pound until roughly crushed. Sprinkle the juniper seeds over all the partridges, pressing lightly into the skin, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt the butter with the oil in a large flame-proof casserole or your largest saucepan over a medium heat. Add the partridges to the casserole, breast-side down, and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn and fry on each of the remaining three sides for a further minute until browned all over. Remove from the casserole and put on a plate.

Reduce the heat and add the onion, bacon and thyme to the casserole. Fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until the onions are softened and the bacon is beginning to brown, stirring regularly.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir well. Cook for about five minutes, then add the gin and orange juice and bubble for a few seconds before slowly stirring in the wine and chicken stock. Spoon the cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly on top, stir in the orange zest and chestnuts and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Gently return the partridges to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 30 minutes.

Cut the cabbage into four wedges and remove the tough central core. Remove the casserole from the heat and turn the partridges over. Nestle the cabbage between the birds, cover and continue to cook for a further 30-40 minutes, or until the birds are very tender, the cabbage has softened and the sauce has thickened. Pick out the thyme stalks and adjust the seasoning to taste.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Hairy Bikers, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, BBC-Food

3082. PAN-FRIED TURBOT with RED WINE BUTTER, BACON, PUMPKIN and CHESTNUTS

serves four 


12 small shallots, blanched until soft 
300 grams pumpkin, flesh only, cut into bite sized chunks 
120 grams chunky lardons of bacon 
12 cooked chestnuts 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the red wine butter 

200 ml red wine 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 shallots, peeled and finely diced 

1 tablespoon whipping cream 

120 grams unsalted butter 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

sugar, to taste 

For the turbot 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

4 turbot fillets, each about 160g each, skin removed 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

10 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves picked 

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Blanch the shallots and pumpkin chunks for 3-4 minutes, until just softened.

Place the bacon, shallots, pumpkin, and chestnuts on a baking tray that is just large enough to hold them. Add the vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper and toss until well coated. Dot the butter over the top and roast for 12-15 minutes until golden.

For the red wine sauce: pour the red wine, red wine vinegar and soy sauce into a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook over a medium heat for several minutes, until the liquid has reduced to about 4 tablespoons. Whisk in the cream.

Add 100g of the butter, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Do not let the sauce boil.

Season to taste with salt, black pepper and sugar (you shouldn't need much salt because of the soy). Keep warm.

For the turbot: heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the turbot and fry for 1 minute over a very high heat.

Add the butter, lower the heat slightly and fry for a further 2 minutes. Turn and fry for 3 minutes more.

Once the fish is cooked, stir the parsley into the bacon mixture.

Spoon the red wine butter onto four plates, put the fish in the middle and scatter the bacon mixture over the top. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Alex Mackay, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel, UK TV