Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (36 page)

5
Brush the rolled-out round of dough lightly with olive oil. Slide the round, still on the piece of parchment paper, onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake the flatbread until it is mostly golden and lightly browned in some spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the flatbread to a wire rack to cool, discarding the piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, working with one at a time and using a fresh piece of parchment paper for each round of dough.

6
After the flatbread has cooled, it will be crackerlike in texture. Break the rounds into pieces for serving or storing. The flatbread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. After a day or two, the rosemary and bacon flavors will become richer.

Makes 2 loaves

For some Southern cooks, corn bread is the staff of life and a heavenly gift. Those in the know say cooking authentic corn bread requires the use of stone-ground yellow cornmeal because it is rough-textured, with the flavorful hull and germ intact. Some recipes call for sugar, others rail against it. Some corn bread cognoscenti swear that buttermilk is essential to the texture of the final bread, others recommend 100 percent whole milk. Most recipes agree that a little bacon fat added to the batter is a given. We’ve taken a few liberties of our own with our down-home quick bread.

Sweet, savory, and floral, this variation on a classic adds depth and complexity of flavor to the straight-ahead simplicity of corn bread. It is the perfect complement to a simple green salad and more than holds its own as a full-tasting foil for pork chops, fried chicken, or fish. Toast a couple of slices, spread on some butter and jam, and you’ve got breakfast. It’s a simple food with endless possibilities; we all can agree that a steaming pan of corn bread fresh from the oven and a pot of Slow-Cooker Pulled Bacon and Bourbon Beans (
page 198
) is a king’s dinner.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus butter for greasing the loaf pans

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the loaf pans

4 slices bacon, diced

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

¼ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups well-shaken buttermilk

2 large eggs

½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

4 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar using a pestle or pulsed in an electric spice grinder or mini food processor

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter two 8- by 4- by 3-inch metal loaf pans and dust them with flour, knocking out the excess.

2
Cook the bacon in a medium-size skillet 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, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.

3
Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix. Place the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and the bacon fat from the skillet in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well and, using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture until just moistened. Stir in the cranberries, crushed fennel seeds, and drained bacon.

4
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared loaf pans and let stand for 10 minutes. Bake the corn bread until the tops of the loaves are pale and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each loaf, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the loaves to wire racks and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, invert the loaves onto wire racks so that they are right side up and let them cool completely, about 20 minutes, before serving. The corn bread can be stored in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

Serves 10 to 12 (see Note)

Everyone loves stuffing yet too few people make their own from scratch. However, many of the preseasoned bread cube and stuffing mixes, while powerful in taste, also share the unmistakable flavor of freeze-dried, chemically enhanced food. When sampled side by side with a stuffing that starts with whole ingredients, homemade wins every time. In our oyster and corn bread stuffing, you can easily pick out the textures and flavors of bacon, tarragon, oysters, and corn bread: ingredients that make for a smooth, extremely satisfying mouthful. Not one of these strongly flavored ingredients overpowers the others, so this stuffing works well served alongside chicken, turkey, pork, or even as a side dish for a fish like sea bass.

All corn bread is naturally crumbly, so to help it retain some shape and structure, we cool the freshly baked bread in the pan, then cut it into bite-size pieces, and dry it in a warm oven before mixing it with the other stuffing ingredients. Lest you think we are totally anticonvenience, our advice is to buy your oysters shucked. Trying to do it yourself is messy and, in many cases, leads to nicks and nasty cuts. If you insist, though, and you have a suit of medieval armor lying around, we advise using one of the steel gloves to hold the oysters as you shuck them.

12 cups ½- to 1-inch cubes Corn Bread with Bacon Drippings (recipe follows)

1½ cups oysters, drained, ½ cup of the oyster liquor set aside

2 cups homemade turkey giblet stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or more as necessary

2 large eggs

8 slices bacon, cut into ¼- to ½-inch dice, plus 4 slices cooked bacon, reserved from the Corn Bread with Bacon Drippings

About 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus butter for greasing the baking dishes

2½ cups diced fennel

2 cups finely chopped shallots (4 to 5 large shallots)

¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 medium-size garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1
Place racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions in the oven and preheat the oven to 250˚F.

2
Spread out the cubes of corn bread and any crumbs in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake the corn bread cubes until dried but not browned, 40 to 45 minutes, switching the positions of the baking sheets on the oven racks after about 20 minutes. Let the cubes of corn bread cool on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes then place them in a very large bowl.

3
Chop the oysters into 1-inch pieces and set them aside. Pour the reserved ½ cup of oyster liquor into a medium-size mixing bowl (see Note). Add the stock and eggs to the bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the stock mixture over the cooled corn bread cubes and toss very gently and thoroughly to coat (as much as possible, avoid breaking the corn bread into smaller pieces). Set the corn bread mixture aside.

4
Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet. When cool, transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Add the cooked bacon pieces reserved from the Corn Bread with Bacon Drippings to the bowl, as well.

5
Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 2 tablespoons of butter for dotting the stuffing, then add enough butter to the bacon drippings to measure ½ cup of fat. When the fats start to shimmer, add the fennel and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the parsley, tarragon, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

6
Add the fennel mixture, the oysters, and the bacon to the corn bread mixture in the large bowl. Stir gently to combine (again, try to avoid breaking the corn bread into small pieces). Season the stuffing with salt and pepper to taste, salting it lightly if at all, as the oysters and bacon add salt. When you squeeze a small portion of the stuffing in your hand, the stuffing should hold together. If necessary, add more stock to moisten it sufficiently.

7
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F. Generously butter 2 large (2½- to 3-quart) deep baking dishes.

8
Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dishes, dividing it evenly between them. Dot each casserole with 1 tablespoon of the reserved butter cut into small pieces. Cover the baking dishes with aluminum foil and bake the stuffing for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking the stuffing until the tops are golden brown and crusty and the centers are warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Corn Bread with Bacon Drippings

Makes 1 loaf of corn bread

This corn bread has a firm top and a rich, moist texture from the combination of butter and bacon fat. And don’t think you need to save it for stuffing. It’s delicious to eat on its own.

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

Unsalted butter for greasing the baking pan

3 large eggs

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 cup milk

1½ teaspoons your choice of hot sauce

1½ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp and the fat is mostly 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, reserving 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet. If necessary, add enough butter to the skillet to measure 3 tablespoons. When cooled, wrap and refrigerate the cooked bacon to add to the Oyster and Corn Bread Stuffing with Bacon.

2
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

3
Beat the eggs in a medium-size mixing bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk, milk, and hot sauce.

4
Place the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the well. Add the 3 tablespoons of reserved fat and whisk until just combined.

5
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly and into all of the corners. Bake the corn bread until the top is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the baking pan on a wire rack and let the corn bread cool for at least 1 hour before serving or slicing it into ½- to 1-inch cubes for the Oyster and Corn Bread Stuffing with Bacon.

Serves 8 to 10

We were inspired by the combination of greens, sweet potatoes, and bacon that go so well alongside many traditional Southern meals. So, we thought, why not put them all together in a stuffing and why not bind it with a zingy jalapeño corn bread? The result was so good we felt like having it for lunch—which is exactly what we did . . . for three days running.

Jalapeño Corn Bread (recipe follows)

5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more as necessary

2 medium-size onions, chopped (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1¼ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

10 ounces kale, tough stems and ribs removed and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped and rinsed but not patted dry