Rustic Eats

Candied Bacon

At my holiday party last month, I placed candied bacon strategically around the room, and - viola! - instant conversation starter. Folks were hankering for the recipe and making suggestions (maple syrup?) for how to tweak it.

I cannot take credit for this simple recipe. I gotta give it to Matt Oda, the chef at Bistro Catering. I’m not sure that I am following it to a T (perhaps he had suggested molasses?), but the results have certainly been successful.

Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thick cut bacon
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire cooling rack on the sheet. Set aside.

In a shallow pan, dump sugar and cayenne. Mix together.

Take one slice of bacon, lay it in the pan atop the sugar mix. Use your hands to completely coat both sides of bacon in a layer of sugar and pepper. Repeat with each slice of bacon. 

Lay bacon on wire rack in a single, tightly packed layer. Place baking sheet on middle rack in oven. Bake for 45 minutes. 

Take baking sheet out of oven. Check color of bacon. Has it turned a dark caramel color? If not, bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

Let bacon cool for five minutes. Transfer to plate lined with parchment paper.

Tip: With two (or more) cooling racks and baking sheets, you can get speed up the process.

Brussel sprouts elevate traditional green bean casserole

This month, Brussels sprouts have been featured in nearly every lifestyle magazine I’ve perused; apparently, they’re trendy this season. Martha Stewart features “Smoky Brussels sprouts gratin” in the December issue of Living; Whole Living magazine (formerly Body and Soul) put “Roasted Brussels sprouts and grapes with walnuts” on its cover; Family Circle offered a recipe that adds Brussels sprouts to my all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dish: green bean casserole. This intrigued me. Soon I discovered a recipe that elevates the classic casserole from canned cream of mushroom to high quality, high fat heavy cream with sautéed mushrooms. The recipe originally did away with green beans altogether, but I added them to the roasting pan with delicious effects. I also fried some shallots to recreate the crispy bad-for-you goodness of French’s fried onions.

Roasted Brussels sprouts and green beans with mushrooms and cream

Adapted from Tasha DeSerio’s recipe at www.finecooking.com

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise  
• ¼ lb. green beans
• 5 T. olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 3 T. unsalted butter
• ¾ lb. mushrooms, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (½ c.)
• ¼  c. dry white wine
• 1 c. heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Put the Brussels sprouts and green beans on a baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 T. of the olive oil; toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 T. of the olive oil and 2 T. of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.

Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the roasted vegetables and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.