Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (12 page)

Homemade Bacon-Flavored Croutons

Some soups seem to call out for crunchy croutons, and the best bread for making them has a light and airy interior texture. A crusty country loaf or a baguette or a good-quality white sandwich bread works well. Of course, you can substitute olive oil or melted butter for the bacon fat, if you wish, or if you don’t have any bacon fat on hand to do the job. And if you have any leftover corn bread, you can substitute corn bread cubes for the white bread; they also make tasty soup croutons.

2 cups ½-inch bread cubes from good-quality white sandwich bread

3 tablespoons bacon fat

Pinch of salt

1
Position the oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2
Combine the bread cubes and the bacon fat in a medium-size bowl and toss well to coat the cubes. Spread the cubes in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning them twice with a large spoon. Spread out on the baking sheet and let cool, uncovered, at room temperature. If desired, the croutons can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

Serves 4

Mention the word chowder and people are pretty much disposed to like it even before they taste it. It’s a word that makes you comfortable as it calls up images of the coast on a day when waves pile against the shore and sea mist sparkles in the air. Chowder fills you up, restores you, warms you on a cool day. This chowder, which we made when corn was at its ripest and sweetest, is deeply bacony. The fennel brings out the sweetness in all the ingredients. The clams, steamed in their shells at the last minute (actually make that the last 5 to 8 minutes), don’t lose any of their fresh briny flavor.

20 littleneck clams (about 2 pounds; see
page 38
)

7 slices bacon

4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon (see Note)

1 leek, white part only, rinsed well and chopped

⅔ cup diced fennel or celery

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

1 medium-size clove garlic, minced

l pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice

½ cup dry white wine

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 large ears)

1 cup whole milk

½ cup half-and-half

Freshly ground black pepper

1
Place the clams in a large bowl, cover them with cold water, and let them soak for about 20 minutes so they can release their sand and grit. After soaking and draining the clams, use a firm brush to scrub off any additional sand or barnacles that may cling to the shells.

2
Dice 3 of the slices of bacon. Add the diced bacon to a small skillet and cook over medium heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then place it in a small bowl. Add the tarragon and stir to mix. Set the bacon-tarragon garnish aside.

3
Coarsely chop the remaining 4 slices of bacon. Heat a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot or saucepan over medium heat; add the chopped bacon, and cook until it is lightly browned but not crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary.

4
Add the leek, fennel or celery, and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pot. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, clam juice, white wine, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to high, and let come to a full boil, uncovered. Then, reduce the heat as necessary and let the chowder simmer until the potato has softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the corn and let the chowder return to a boil.

5
Add the clams, cover the pot, then reduce the heat as necessary and let the chowder simmer until the clams have just opened, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the clams and the pot. Remove and discard the bay leaf and any clams that have not opened after about 8 minutes.

6
After the clams have opened, add the milk, half-and-half, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the chowder. Let cook until heated through, adjusting the heat so the chowder does not boil. Season the chowder to taste with black pepper. To serve, spoon the chowder into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving evenly with the bacon-tarragon garnish.

Serves 4

It was a hot day up at the lake. We wanted a chowder that screamed flavor but didn’t rely on the rib-stickingness of the creamy New England version. We came up with a clam chowder that is packed with the distinctive flavors of clams, bacon, thyme, and tomato and with nary a dairy ingredient. Fennel and fresh herbs turned old-fashioned Manhattan clam chowder into a punchier, more contemporary recipe. The addition of crispy potatoes creates interesting body and texture. Why Lake House? Because that’s where we make it.

2½ pounds littleneck clams (24 to 28 clams; see
page 38
)

8 ounces slab bacon, rind removed (see
page 57
)

1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)

⅔ cup chopped fennel, or 2 ribs celery, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 pound small new potatoes (about 1 inch in diameter) or fingerling potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch–thick rounds (about 3 cups)

Sea salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large ripe tomato, cored and diced

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Juice of 1 large lemon

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1
Place the clams in a large bowl, cover them with cold water, and let them soak for about 20 minutes so they can release their sand and grit. After soaking and draining the clams, use a firm brush to scrub off any additional sand or barnacles that may cling to the shells.

2
While the clams soak, cut the bacon slab into ¼- to ½-inch cubes. Cook the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium to low heat until crisp, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet. Discard any solid cubes of bacon fat that remain after browning.

3
Add the onion and fennel or celery to the skillet and cook over medium to medium-low heat until the vegetables are softened and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a large pasta pot or stockpot. When the skillet has cooled, wipe it clean with paper towels.

4
Place the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and add cold, lightly salted water to just cover. Cover the pan and let come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat as necessary and let the potatoes simmer, uncovered, until they are barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a colander and set them aside.

5
Place the wiped skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat it until it just begins to shimmer, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook them until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes, turning them once or twice. (If the skillet is not large enough, you might find it easier to brown the potatoes in 2 separate batches.) Transfer the potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess fat, then season them with salt and pepper to taste.

6
Add the clams, drained bacon, tomato, clam juice, thyme, and 3½ cups of water to the pot with the vegetables. Partially cover the pot, place it over medium heat, and let come to a simmer. Let the clams simmer just until they open, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the clams and the pot. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon juice and parsley. Remove the chowder from the heat and discard any clams that have not opened after about 8 minutes.

7
Using a slotted spoon, divide the clams, bacon, and vegetables among 4 serving bowls. Distribute the potatoes equally among the bowls, then evenly ladle the chowder over each serving.

Mad Ave Salad

 

In This Chapter

Bacon, Pear, and Humboldt Fog Salad

Mad Ave Salad

Curried Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Farro and Bacon Salad

Green Bean and Potato Salad with Cashews and Lardons

Curried Cobb Salad

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus with Mixed Greens, Toasted Bread Cubes, and Soft-Cooked Eggs

Stuffed Tomatoes with Bacon and Avocado-Serrano Chile Dressing

Bacon and Edamame Salad with Sea Scallops

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Shrimp, and Bell Peppers

Bacon and Egg Salad with Fresh Basil and Red Onion

When you say the word
salad
often the first thing that comes to mind is crisp or crunchy. The same goes for bacon, so it’s not surprising that we, along with most of the salad-eating world, like to add some bacony punch to our salads. But the story of bacon and salad doesn’t begin and end with crispy crunchiness. Bacon adds salt and smoky funk. A great summer beefsteak tomato has a hint of bacon in it (we are told by food scientists that ripe tomatoes, like bacon, have a good deal of umami).

In this chapter, we give our own twist to some salad standbys with bacon, such as the classic Cobb, and our homage to TV’s Mad Men and iceberg lettuce—the Mad Ave Salad. We also go in for some warm-ingredient salads that can be served as a main course, including a beautifully clean-tasting scallop and edamame salad as well as a curried broccoli and bacon salad. Bottom line, crunch calls for more crunch and salads cry for bacon.