Beautiful bacon
The beauty of bacon is in its simplicity; a pork belly cured for one week, then gently smoked with a flavourful wood for hours. It is a sublime combination of salt, smoke and heat that carries with it a plethora of culinary wonders, and a glossary of varieties: green bacon, cured but not smoked; uncured bacon, smoked but not cured; nitratefree bacon; wet-cured bacon, soaked in a brine before smoking; dry-cured bacon, rubbed with a dry salt mix before smoking. Whatever you choose, seek out the best bacon you can find.
There are three schools of thought on cooking bacon: conventional oven method, microwave oven method and hob method. Bacon continues to cook and crisp up after it is removed from the heat for another minute or two, regardless of the method. Bring bacon to room temperature before cooking; place in a room-temperature frying pan or oven before turning on the heat. This heats the bacon slowly, maximising the amount of fat rendered out of the bacon, preventing scorching. It can quickly go from crisp to charred and inedible, so keep a close eye on it. Also, cooking times may vary, depending on the thickness, fat ratio and water content of the bacon used.
Bacon, by Theresa Gilliam, with photography by EJ Armstrong (Jacqui Small, £25).
Chicken Normandy, of Sorts
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 rashers of bacon, coarsely chopped
4 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
35g plain flour
½ a small onion, thinly sliced
120ml dry sherry
240ml apple cider
1 crisp red apple, sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
120ml double cream
Method
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat until crisp, about 8 mins. Transfer to kitchen paper, reserving the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken with flour, shaking to remove the excess. Cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat over a medium heat until it is golden brown and nearly cooked through, about 6 mins per side. Remove the chicken from the pan; keep it warm while you prepare the sauce.
Cook the onions in the pan until they are soft and translucent, about 6 mins. Add the sherry and simmer to reduce it slightly. Add the cider and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, thyme and cooked bacon to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the cream and add the chicken breasts with any juices that may have collected in the pan. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, about 5 additional minutes. Serve hot.
Maple Bacon Twists
Makes 12
Ingredients
Method
For par-cooked bacon place two layers of kitchen paper on a microwave-safe plate. Lay the desired amount of bacon in a single layer on top of the kitchen paper and cover it with two additional sheets of kitchen paper. Microwave the bacon for 2-2½ minutes, or 30 seconds per rasher.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Whisk in the remaining sugar, egg and buttermilk. Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Knead the dough with the dough hook attachment until well combined, about 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated lightly with cooking spray. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat or roll it into a 2.5cm-thick rectangle, about 20cm x 30cm. Cut the dough into 12 (2.5cm x 20cm) rectangular pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Lay a rasher of bacon on top of each piece of dough and twist 2-3 times to form a spiral, pinching the ends to adhere the dough and bacon. Repeat with the remaining bacon and dough pieces. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or large pan to 180C.
Deep-fry the twists, a few at a time, until the dough is fully cooked and the bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper.
To make the maple glaze, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and whisk in the maple syrup, milk and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or squeezy bottle or cover until ready to use.
Drizzle the twists with maple glaze and leave the glaze to set before serving.
BLT Mac and Cheese
Serves 6
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Lightly grease a deep (23cm x 33cm) casserole or baking dish.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook, according to packet instructions, until al dente. Drain.
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat until just starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced leeks and cook until they are softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the single cream, full-fat milk and tomato sauce until well combined. Add the mascarpone cheese and simmer, stirring constantly, until it is melted.
Remove the pan from the heat, add three-quarters of the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine the sauce, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and gently toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared casserole or baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbling at the edges and browned on top, about 15 minutes.
To make the sage dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and sage. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
In a large bowl, toss the rocket or spinach with the sage dressing. Serve the greens alongside warm portions of pasta.
There are three schools of thought on cooking bacon: conventional oven method, microwave oven method and hob method. Bacon continues to cook and crisp up after it is removed from the heat for another minute or two, regardless of the method. Bring bacon to room temperature before cooking; place in a room-temperature frying pan or oven before turning on the heat. This heats the bacon slowly, maximising the amount of fat rendered out of the bacon, preventing scorching. It can quickly go from crisp to charred and inedible, so keep a close eye on it. Also, cooking times may vary, depending on the thickness, fat ratio and water content of the bacon used.
Bacon, by Theresa Gilliam, with photography by EJ Armstrong (Jacqui Small, £25).
Chicken Normandy, of Sorts
Serves 4 Ingredients
4 rashers of bacon, coarsely chopped
4 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
35g plain flour
½ a small onion, thinly sliced
120ml dry sherry
240ml apple cider
1 crisp red apple, sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
120ml double cream
Method
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat until crisp, about 8 mins. Transfer to kitchen paper, reserving the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken with flour, shaking to remove the excess. Cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat over a medium heat until it is golden brown and nearly cooked through, about 6 mins per side. Remove the chicken from the pan; keep it warm while you prepare the sauce.
Cook the onions in the pan until they are soft and translucent, about 6 mins. Add the sherry and simmer to reduce it slightly. Add the cider and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, thyme and cooked bacon to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the cream and add the chicken breasts with any juices that may have collected in the pan. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, about 5 additional minutes. Serve hot.
Maple Bacon Twists
Makes 12 Ingredients
- 75ml warm water (43C)
- 11/8 tsp dry active yeast (½ packet)
- 50g sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 230g plain flour
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 12 rashers of thick-cut, maple-flavoured bacon, par-cooked
- groundnut or rapeseed oil, for frying
- 210g icing sugar
- 70g maple syrup
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
For par-cooked bacon place two layers of kitchen paper on a microwave-safe plate. Lay the desired amount of bacon in a single layer on top of the kitchen paper and cover it with two additional sheets of kitchen paper. Microwave the bacon for 2-2½ minutes, or 30 seconds per rasher.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Whisk in the remaining sugar, egg and buttermilk. Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Knead the dough with the dough hook attachment until well combined, about 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated lightly with cooking spray. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat or roll it into a 2.5cm-thick rectangle, about 20cm x 30cm. Cut the dough into 12 (2.5cm x 20cm) rectangular pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Lay a rasher of bacon on top of each piece of dough and twist 2-3 times to form a spiral, pinching the ends to adhere the dough and bacon. Repeat with the remaining bacon and dough pieces. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or large pan to 180C.
Deep-fry the twists, a few at a time, until the dough is fully cooked and the bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper.
To make the maple glaze, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and whisk in the maple syrup, milk and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or squeezy bottle or cover until ready to use.
Drizzle the twists with maple glaze and leave the glaze to set before serving.
BLT Mac and Cheese
Serves 6 Ingredients
- 225g cellantani or similar curly pasta
- 6 rashers of bacon, coarsely chopped
- 2 leeks, halved lengthways and sliced, white and light green parts only
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 60ml single cream
- 60ml full-fat milk
- 60ml tomato sauce
- 225g mascarpone cheese
- 80g Parmesan cheese, grated salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 170g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 35g basil leaves, chopped
- 20g dry breadcrumbs
- 400-500g rocket or baby spinach, washed and dried
- sage dressing
- 60ml white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp rubbed sage
- 120ml vegetable oil or light olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Lightly grease a deep (23cm x 33cm) casserole or baking dish.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook, according to packet instructions, until al dente. Drain.
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat until just starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced leeks and cook until they are softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the single cream, full-fat milk and tomato sauce until well combined. Add the mascarpone cheese and simmer, stirring constantly, until it is melted.
Remove the pan from the heat, add three-quarters of the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine the sauce, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and gently toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared casserole or baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbling at the edges and browned on top, about 15 minutes.
To make the sage dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and sage. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
In a large bowl, toss the rocket or spinach with the sage dressing. Serve the greens alongside warm portions of pasta.