Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (32 page)

4
Increase the heat to medium-high and let the liquid simmer until it is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and whisk it over medium heat until melted. Whisking constantly, add the flour and cook until the flour is well blended into the butter mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the half-and-half or light cream, whisking until smoothly blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the ricotta and half of the cheddar cheese. Let the sauce simmer, whisking often, until smooth and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the curry powder, nutmeg, and hot sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and more hot sauce as desired.

5
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and stir gently to combine. Scatter the drained bacon and the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the cauliflower. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake the gratin until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.

6
While the gratin bakes, place the remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in a medium-size skillet set over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and the scallions and toss well to coat the crumbs in the fat.

7
Remove the gratin from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450˚F. Sprinkle the bread crumb and scallion mixture evenly over the top. Return the gratin to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are a golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the gratin immediately.

Serves 4

One of the great legacies of the wave of Italian immigration in the early twentieth century is that different Italian American communities have come up with their own unique homages to the tradition of the homeland. For example, one rarely thinks of Utica, New York, a small upstate city, as very Italian, but many Italian Americans settled there, and one of the things they invented was the dish known as Utica greens, which we first tasted at Dominique’s Chesterfield Restaurant in Utica. While some interpretations call for adding potatoes and most recipes call for prosciutto, we like this pared-down version for its emphasis on the greens and the smokiness of the bacon. Escarole is the traditional green of choice, but kale and Swiss chard (or even a combination of these two) work well. And, you can also add a handful of toasted pignoli (pine) nuts. Utica greens are delicious served with a simple roasted chicken, roasted lamb, or thick pork chops.

P.S. Our thanks to Nicholas Reiter (son of Marie) for suggesting the visit to Dominique’s while Nicholas was clerking for a federal judge in Utica.

Butter, for greasing the baking dish

4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary

⅓ cup fine plain dry bread crumbs, homemade (
page 32
) or store-bought

¼ cup (1 ounce) finely freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 medium-size onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

8 to 10 ounces escarole, cored and coarsely chopped

½ cup low-sodium chicken stock

4 pickled hot or sweet cherry peppers, or a combination of the two, drained and thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

2
Cook the bacon in a large deep saucepan over medium heat until the bacon is browned and most of the fat is rendered, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a medium-size bowl. If necessary, add enough olive oil to the bowl to measure 2 tablespoons. Stir the bread crumbs and the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into the bacon fat and set the bowl aside.

3
Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the escarole and the chicken stock, cover the pan, and cook until the escarole is wilted, about 8 minutes. Stir the pickled peppers and the drained bacon into the escarole and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

4
Spoon the escarole mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the bacon and bread crumb mixture over the top of the escarole. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 5

The advent of farmers’ markets and the catechism of “Eat seasonal, eat local” has awakened many of us to the pleasures of winter greens—hearty late-season foods. Unsurprisingly, we believe bacon is the secret ingredient that complements the strong flavors of these greens in a way that matches rather than overpowers them (something that can happen when you combine bacon with the more easily overwhelmed greens of summer). Lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale is a little more tender and doesn’t have as much fibrous stem as other greens, but we’ve also used mustard greens, escarole, and even beet tops instead of kale. For another variation, garnish the kale with toasted, butter-flavored bread crumbs.

1 to 1¼ pounds Tuscan kale, tough stems and ribs removed and discarded, leaves rinsed

6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil, if necessary

4 large cloves garlic, cut in half and lightly crushed

2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1
Pile a few of the trimmed and rinsed kale leaves on top of each other and slice them crosswise into 2 inch-wide pieces. Repeat with the remaining kale leaves.

2
Cook the bacon in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot. If necessary, add enough olive oil to measure 3 tablespoons.

3
Add the garlic to the pot and cook over very low heat until the garlic is a pale golden color, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary sprigs and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, turning the sprigs a few times. Remove any burnt or overly browned garlic. Add the kale and, using tongs, turn the kale to coat it in the fat.

4
Add the lemon juice and 1 cup of water. Increase the heat to medium and let simmer, partially covered, until the kale is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Add the drained bacon and toss to combine. Season the kale with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Serves 8

We know what you’re thinking: “Olives and bacon together. Won’t that be too salty?” You might think so but it isn’t, especially if you boil the olives to tame them. What’s so nice is the way the saltiness showcases the personality of two wonderful ingredients—the chewy and meaty bacon and the smooth and floral olives. Similarly, the long-cooked potatoes that soak up all the juices and the satiny porcini mushrooms are two different ways of adding a smooth texture. As for the onions and garlic, they turn this mostly vegetable side dish into a stew. Serve it as a main course along with a green salad and a sweetish, fruity wine such as riesling or a buttery California chardonnay. Thanks to “The Master,” Michel Richard, with whom we worked on this dish in his wonderful book Happy in the Kitchen.

1 cup pitted flavorful oil-cured black olives

5 ounces slab bacon (about ¾ inch thick), rind removed and cut into 8 pieces (see
page 57
)

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 porcini mushrooms, stems trimmed, mushrooms wiped clean and sliced in half lengthwise

Salt

1 cup peeled pearl onions

2 teaspoons sugar

6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

12 large cloves garlic, peeled

6 sprigs fresh thyme

½ cup low-sodium chicken stock

Freshly ground black pepper

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F.

2
Place the olives in a small saucepan, add water just to cover, and bring to a boil. Strain the olives, return them to the saucepan, and refill it with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, strain the olives, and set them aside.

3
Place a skillet large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer over high heat. Add the pieces of slab bacon and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook the bacon, stirring, for 1 minute, then turn the pieces over. Cook the bacon until some of the fat begins to render, 1 minute longer. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and set aside.

4
Add the mushrooms to the skillet, cut side down, and season them lightly with salt. Place the skillet over high heat and cook the mushrooms until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the plate with the bacon as they brown.

5
Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and return it to the heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then add the pearl onions. Cook the onions, swirling the pan occasionally, until the onions are lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and cook them until browned, 3 to 4 minutes, swirling the pan.

6
Place the drained bacon, the browned mushrooms, the sugared onions, and the potatoes, garlic, thyme sprigs, and chicken stock in an enameled cast-iron casserole large enough to hold all of the ingredients in a single layer. Pour the remaining olive oil over the top.

7
Cover the casserole and bake the mushroom stew until the potatoes are glazed and tender, about 1 hour, stirring once to coat all of the ingredients with the juices. Season the mushroom stew with pepper to taste before serving.

Serves 4

Like many Americans, we were introduced to the word succotash by Sylvester the cat. “Sufferin’ succotash” was his favorite exclamation. It wasn’t until some years later that we came to know that it is also the name of a traditional Native American vegetarian stew. As they do with many starchy protein-rich plants, bacon and ginger enliven a sometimes lackluster taste. When the corn is fresh and the lima beans are just picked, succotash is a full-flavored seasonal treat. In fact, that’s the only time we make it.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 large shallots, chopped (about ¾ cup)

2 teaspoons diced, peeled fresh ginger

2 small yellow squash (about 8 ounces total), trimmed and cut into ½-inch rounds