Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (37 page)

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

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups lightly toasted pecans (see
page 264
), coarsely chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

¾ to 1¼ cups homemade giblet turkey stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300˚F.

2
Cut the corn bread into 2-inch chunks and place the chunks in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake the corn bread chunks until lightly toasted, about 35 minutes, turning the chunks once after about 15 minutes. Let the corn bread chunks cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes. Crumble as much of the corn bread as needed to make 5 cups coarsely crumbled bread and set it aside (save any remaining corn bread chunks for a snack or breakfast treat).

3
Increase the oven temperature to 350˚F.

4
Place the bacon in a large deep pot and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 6 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 pot. If necessary, add enough butter to the skillet to measure at least 3 tablespoons of fat.

5
Add the onions, parsley, and thyme to the pot and stir to coat with the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until the potatoes are just tender but still firm, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and add the kale and Swiss chard, including the water still clinging to the leaves after rinsing. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the greens are just wilted, about 5 minutes, using metal tongs to turn the greens over in the onion and sweet potato mixture once or twice. Remove the pot from the heat.

6
Place the cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until blended. Season the dressing with pepper to taste.

7
Drizzle the dressing over the mixture of sweet potatoes and greens. Add the drained bacon and the pecans and stir to combine. Stir in the crumbled corn bread. Beat the eggs with ¾ cup of the stock and pour over the stuffing mixture, stirring to combine. The stuffing should be moist and hold together easily when pressed gently in the palm of your hand. If it seems dry, add more stock, as necessary, to moisten it sufficiently. (Stuffings baked outside of a turkey, like this one, don’t benefit from the turkey’s roasting juices, so moisten the stuffing well.)

8
Generously butter a deep 3-quart baking dish. Spoon the stuffing into the buttered dish and dot it with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the stuffing until heated through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking the stuffing until the top is slightly crisp, about 10 minutes longer.

Jalapeno Corn Bread

Makes 1 loaf of corn bread

We love corn bread rather than white bread as a base for stuffing and made this corn bread for the Bacon, Sweet Potato, and Greens Stuffing a little sweeter and a little richer than the corn bread for the Oyster and Corn Bread Stuffing with Bacon on
page 240
. With some more sugar, it nicely complements the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes. Along with the sweet-savory dressing of brown sugar and cider vinegar, the corn bread offsets the slight bitterness of the hearty greens. Don’t think you need to save this corn bread recipe only for making the stuffing. Like the corn bread for the oyster stuffing, it’s a standout all on its own.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus butter for greasing the baking pan

1½ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 medium-size jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

2 large eggs

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Generously butter a 9-inch-square baking pan.

2
Place the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and jalapeño pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set the cornmeal mixture aside. Place the buttermilk and eggs in another medium-size mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.

3
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 wet, using only a few turns to combine. Add the melted butter and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

4
Pour the corn bread batter into the prepared baking pan and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

5
Let the corn bread cool in the baking pan on a wire rack. The corn bread will keep in the baking pan, covered with aluminum foil, at room temperature, for 2 to 3 days.

French Toast Bread Pudding with Bacon and Cinnamon

 

In This Chapter

Nuevos Huevos Rancheros

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Bacon, and Salsa

Spinach and Bacon Souffle

Bacon, Grits, and Leek Souffle

Potato Bacon Tortilla

Frittata with Asparagus, Shallots, and Bacon

French Toast Bread Pudding with Bacon and Cinnamon

Candied Bacon Slices

Ask someone about memories of childhood breakfast and you can almost smell the aroma of bacon wafting over them. For most of us, this is where bacon memories begin: waking up on Sunday morning to the heavenly scent of bacon that found its way into your room, even with the door closed! All moms know a whiff of cooking bacon is a surefire kiddie alarm clock. It wakes you from a dead sleep and, like a magnet, draws you to the kitchen table.

The foundation for each of our breakfast/brunch recipes is the winning combination of bacon and eggs, but with lots of twists and turns. Our Nuevos Huevos Rancheros are eggs gently poached in a mixture of black beans, bacon, and salsa. We add bacon to the traditional pairing of eggs and spinach in Spinach and Bacon Soufflé or Baked Eggs with Spinach, Bacon, and Salsa. The benefits of bacon grace a classic Spanish tortilla and a Sicilian asparagus frittata.

We’re hoping that for you, as it has for us, French Toast Bread Pudding with Bacon and Cinnamon becomes one of your Sunday morning family faves. And Candied Bacon Slices, caramelized with a brown sugar and spice coating, are like eating bacon candy—the perfect side for pancakes, French toast, or scrambled eggs.

Serves 4

From the American Southwest down to the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, huevos rancheros are as common a breakfast item as waffles or bacon and eggs are in the United States. Ours adds bacon to the traditional ingredients and, rather than frying the eggs, we poach them in the hot, bacony, bean, and salsa mixture. For a fancier serving idea, divide the salsa among four half cup lightly greased ramekins, add an egg to each, sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and remaining bacon, and bake on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

6 slices thick-cut bacon, coarsely chopped

1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Salsa (recipe follows), or 1½ cups store-bought salsa

4 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

4 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed

1
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 6 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. Remove and discard all but 4½ teaspoons of bacon fat from the skillet.

2
Reheat the bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute, then add the black beans, cumin, and two thirds of the cooked bacon. Cook until the mixture is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the salsa and let the mixture come to a simmer.

3
Using the back of a spoon, make 4 wells in the salsa, each about 2 inches across. Crack an egg into a small bowl and slide it gently into one of the wells without breaking the yolk (don’t be concerned if some of the egg white runs out of the well). Repeat with the remaining eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining bacon around the eggs. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat, 4 to 6 minutes for slightly runny yolks, or as desired. Sprinkle cilantro over the huevos rancheros, divide it among 4 small bowls, and serve with warm tortillas.

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Salsa

Makes about 1
½
cups

Salsa is most often a fresh uncooked mix of vegetables. For this one, however, we wanted to concentrate and intensify the flavor; slow roasting and caramelization does just that. The salsa is good with white-fleshed fish, chicken breasts, and grilled meats.

1¼ pounds ripe plum tomatoes (about 5 large), cored and cut in half lengthwise

2 serrano peppers, or 3 jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise, stems, seeds, and ribs removed (see Note)

1 medium-size onion, cut into wedges

3 medium-size cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about half a lime)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Your choice of hot sauce

1
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

2
Place the tomatoes, serrano or jalapeño peppers, onion, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat them with the oil. Turn the tomatoes and peppers cut side down on the baking sheet.

3
Bake the tomato mixture for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees so the back of the baking sheet faces the front of the oven. Continue baking until the tomatoes are tender and their skins start to brown and shrivel, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let the tomato mixture cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.